Digital Reach
by Mniya
Summary: Strange things begin to happen to Kouji, starting with an attack in the real world and followed by a trip to the Digital World. Between the return of Lucemon and Kouji's odd behavior, can Kouichi and the others save the two worlds again?
1. Return to the Digital World

Hello. I'm Mniya, as you can obviously tell from my username… Well, this is my first fanfic (first that I got up the nerve to post, anyway), so I hope you like it. I am trying to become a writer sometime eventually, so comments are welcome, and criticism is especially appreciated. I'd just like to get some opinions, since I'm kinda unhappy with it, so even flame if you want to.

Anyway, this is getting a bit long, and if you're anything like me you won't want to waste much time if any reading an author's note, so I'll just wrap this up now. Here goes.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon Frontier.**

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It was sometime after the defeat of Lucemon, about two years to be exact, and things had somewhat gone back to normal. The six were back at home, going on about their lives again, but saying it was all the same wouldn't be true. For starters, the experiences they had in the Digital World had in fact made them all stronger. Everyone who knew them before found it a little strange, but soon got used to and accepted the improvements. They had kept in touch with each other, keeping the bond they had formed there alive and well.

Takuya had become a little more mature, although it wasn't hard to start up a fight with his little brother from time to time. Izumi had come out of her shell and began to make bonds with others, while Junpei began making more meaningful friendships than his old. Tomoki didn't cry…as often. He began sticking up for himself more. After all, what were the monsters he imagined were in his closet and the average bully compared with the digital fiends he had faced and conquered?

But with Kouji and Kouichi, the change was the greatest. After all, it's not every day that you discover the mother you thought was dead and the twin brother you never knew you had. They still remained living apart, but made sure to visit each other often, at least once a week, and it was time for one of their meetings now.

Kouji was standing in the park waiting for Kouichi, who was running a bit late, to arrive. They had met here often. The spot was one where not many people came to, giving them some privacy. There was no reason to expect anything to go wrong, standing here with few to no witnesses. Nothing bad had happened since then, after all…but that was about to change.

Kouji continued to just stand and wait when he felt a presence appear behind him; he hadn't lost his sharpness even after all this time. He turned around and his eyes widened in horror at what he saw.

"You!" Was all he managed to get out in his surprise.

"You act surprised. Did you honestly think I could be defeated so easily? Foolish human! Now hold still…"

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Meanwhile, Kouichi was walking swiftly to the park, hoping Kouji wouldn't be upset at his being late. He had just arrived and was nearing the meeting place when he heard a familiar cry of pain.

"Kouji!" He gasped, breaking into a run. The spot came into sight, and he momentarily froze when he saw Kouji's unmoving, bleeding form on the ground. "Kouji!" He yelled, rushing to his side and desperately feeling for a pulse.

_Please don't let him be dead, please!_ He pleaded, and was relieved to feel the rhythmical beat, although it was not very strong. Now that he looked, he could see the faint rise and fall of Kouji's chest as he took slow, shallow breaths. Kouichi hastily took out his cell phone and dialed 911.

"911, what's the emergency?" A female voice asked.

"I need an ambulance out here right away! My brother is unconscious and losing a lot of blood!"

"What is your location?"

"Shinjuku Gyoen, southeast sector."

"I'll send someone over immediately."

"Thank you." He ended the call and returned his focus to Kouji. He noticed his brother was losing too much blood and began to try and slow the flow by taking off his shirt and using it to cover the worst of the wounds. Kouichi stayed by his side, constantly monitoring his brother's vitality to make sure he was still alive while he anxiously waited for help. A few minutes passed. There was still no sign of help, and he grew increasingly worried about Kouji, if that was even possible.

"Dammit, what's taking so long?!" Kouichi growled in frustration. "Kouji, please, hang in there…" Just as he began wondering if help was going to arrive in time, he heard the sirens. "About time," He breathed, getting up to watch the ambulance approach. It came to a stop and some men got out, ran over, and loaded Kouji up. Kouichi, not wanting to leave his brother, went up to one of them. "I can come too, right?" The man glanced at him briefly before nodding.

"Sure kid, just hop in, and stay out of the way." Kouichi nodded and jumped in, watching helplessly as they checked Kouji and took care of him best they could here. They finally reached the hospital, and the crew took Kouji away while a nurse questioned him.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"Kouichi Kimura."

"And him?"

"Kouji Minamoto, my brother. Our parents divorced and we were split up at a young age." He added, explaining the different last names. The nurse nodded, accepting it.

"What happened to him?"

"I don't know. We were going to meet in the park. As I made my way over there, I heard a scream, and found him lying there."

"You have no idea at all?"

"No. I didn't see anyone near him." She nodded.

"Thank you, Kouichi. You can sit over there and wait if you wish while he's in intensive care." Kouichi nodded and went to sit down in one of the chairs she had motioned to. He waited anxiously for a few minutes, hoping that Kouji was okay. His cell phone suddenly rang, causing him to jump. He took it out and answered.

"Hello?"

"Hey Kouichi, did you hear?" Takuya asked excitedly from the other end.

"Hear what, Takuya?" Kouichi asked dully.

"Hear about the carnival, of course! It's in now!"

"Oh, yeah, I heard. Why?"

"We're all going to meet up there, okay? I already called the others."

"Uh...yeah."

"By the way, do you know anything about Kouji? I tried calling him, but there was no answer." Kouichi bit his lip, hesitating. Should he tell Takuya about this and get him worried for, what he hoped, no reason? "Kouichi?" Apparently, he had paused for too long, for there was alarm in Takuya's voice. No getting out of it now…

"Kouji…is in the hospital."

"What happened?!"

"I was going to meet up with him at the park, but when I got there, he was unconscious. His body was covered in gashes, and he was losing a lot of blood. Takuya, I'm worried about him. He's being taken care of, but when I saw him, he was hardly breathing!" There was momentary silence before Takuya spoke again, trying to comfort him and perhaps himself.

"Don't worry, he'll make it. Kouji's tough, remember?"

"Yeah…"

"Alright then, I'll tell the others. We'll come right over."

"Okay. Be careful."

"Like I said, don't worry." With that, they hung up.

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Kouji found himself floating in darkness, numbly wondering where he was. He looked around, but could see nothing, feel nothing.

"Am I dead?" He wondered aloud, surprisingly calm.

"No, young warrior of light, you are not." A voice said, and he turned to see a familiar face. "Whatever gave you that idea?"

"Lobomon!" He said, smiling at the Spirit of Light, who returned it. The smile faded after a moment, however, as he answered. "Well, it's really dark, and… Oh, never mind that. Why are you here? Did something happen to the Digital World?" Lobomon sighed.

"As much as I wish this were only a pleasantry, there is in fact something up. The Legendary Warriors are needed once again."

"What's wrong now?"

"Our time together here is coming to an end; you will have to see for yourself when you get here. There's a carnival in your town; find the way back in through that. I will see you again on the other side." With that, Kouji's world faded back out into nothings, not even thought…

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"So you have no idea at all what happened to him?" Junpei asked.

"None." Kouichi confirmed. A nurse walked in just then and looked to Kouichi.

"Are you Kouichi Kimura?" She asked. He nodded.

"Is Kouji okay?"

"He should be just fine. You may see him now if you wish."

"Thank you." He took a couple steps after the nurse then glanced at the others. "These are our friends. I think they'd like to see him too." They nodded. The nurse looked at them and pursed her lips for a moment before nodding.

"Alright, just don't crowd him. It may be a bit startling if he happens to wake up. And if you need anything, call one of us right away." He thanked her again and the group followed her into the elevator, up a couple floors, and down the hall. "He's right in here."

Kouichi opened the door and walked in, the rest of the group behind him. Their eyes fell upon Kouji, who still lay unconscious. His deep blue hair was tousled a bit, his bandanna off, and his body was covered in bandages. The room was filled with the steady beeping of the heart monitor and Kouji's breathing, which Kouichi noticed with great relief was much stronger than the shallow breaths he had been taking before.

"Oh," Izumi gasped. The group moved in around him, but remembered the nurse's advice to keep some distance.

"Who would've done this?" Tomoki asked. "It looks painful."

"Well, the nurse said he'd be all right…" Takuya said, sticking to the bright side of things. There was a light moan and they look to see Kouji stirring. Kouichi immediately got closer to his brother as he opened his eyes.

"Ngh…" Kouji moaned, squinting as his eyes adjusted to the bright hospital lights.

"Kouji?" Kouichi asked. "How do you feel?"

"Kou…ichi?" Kouji mumbled as he started to sit up, but stopped with a wince of pain. Kouichi gently pushed him back down.

"Easy there, you have some pretty bad cuts." Kouji let himself be put back down and looked around, his eyes and mind coming a little more into focus.

"Kouichi, Takuya, Izumi, Tomoki, Junpei... You're all here."

"It's been a while, huh?" Izumi stated.

"Yeah." He looked at himself and frowned at the bandages. "Man, what hit me?"

"You mean you don't know?!" Takuya said, disappointed. Everyone had wanted to know what did this to him. They all knew Kouji was strong, with or without his spirit evolution.

"No… I can't remember… What was I doing?"

"You were waiting for me at the park." Kouichi said.

"Right…." Kouji said thoughtfully, trying to remember what happened next.

"Ohh, this is all my fault!" Kouichi groaned.

"What?"

"If I just hadn't been late, this wouldn't have happened! I could've been there too to help you, or do something!"

"Don't go blaming yourself now, Kouichi! Whatever happened was not your fault! And I'm glad you weren't there. You could've ended up just like me."

"Maybe, but-"

"And then who would've saved us? That part of the park is secluded."

"But…" Kouichi sighed. "Alright. So, how do you feel?"

"I'll be fine." Kouji said, then softened up a bit at Kouichi's expression. "Don't worry, it'll be okay." The nurse walked up to the door just then and looked in.

"You're all still here?" Then her eyes fell on Kouji. "Oh, you're awake! That's great! Well, I think you all should be going now. Kouji needs to rest. We'll be keeping him tonight just in case."

"W-wait!" Kouji said.

"What is it?" Takuya asked.

"There's something important I need to tell you," he said, growling in frustration, "but I just can't remember!"

"It's okay, Kouji, we'll come see you tomorrow, okay? You can sleep on it, and maybe then you'll remember."

"Well, it's starting to get late. See you."

"Bye." The group started out, but Kouichi paused by the door and turned to look back at Kouji.

"See you, brother. Hope you get better quick." Kouji smiled and nodded at him.

"Thanks, Kouichi." His friends all left, but Kouji first had to endure the questioning of the nurse before he could rest. He spent a bit of time struggling to figure out what had happened, and what he forgot that was important, but all to no avail and he eventually drifted off to sleep.

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The next day, Kouichi and the gang had all kept to their promise and were making their way to the hospital. The nurse looked up as they all came in.

"Ah, you must be here to see Kouji."

"Yeah, we are." Junpei said.

"You may as well just wait down here. Kouji will be coming to check out at any moment."

"So he's fine then?" Izumi asked.

"Yes. He still should take it easy until the wounds have time to completely heal, but nothing serious is wrong with him."

"That's good to know." Kouichi said. They turned to look at the elevator just in time for it to open and reveal Kouji, who was looking more like himself than the pathetic boy lying on the hospital bed yesterday. They exchanged smiles and Kouji walked over to the group.

"Hey guys, you came just in time. I was just leaving."

"Well, it's good to see you looking better! How do you feel?" Takuya asked.

"Much better." He checked out and the group went outside.

"So, did you ever remember what you wanted to tell us?" Tomoki asked.

"No, I couldn't remember anything at all." Kouji sighed.

"That's alright." Takuya said. "Think you can handle the carnival, or should we wait for you to get better? We were going to go yesterday, but…"

"That's it!" Kouji exclaimed suddenly. Takuya jumped back a little and stared at him.

"What's it? Was it something I said?"

"Yeah, I remember now! The carnival! We have to go to the carnival!"

"Umm…so you're saying that the big important thing you had to tell us was to go to the carnival?" Junpei asked, staring at Kouji like he was nuts.

"It's not like you guys think. When I was unconscious, Lobomon came to me. He said the Digital World needed our help again and that the portal lays somewhere within the carnival." This turned everyone on the alert.

"What's wrong? Don't tell us Lucemon came back!" Takuya exclaimed.

"I don't know what's wrong. There wasn't enough time for Lobomon to tell me. Either way, I think we'd better go there fast." They all agreed and ran off to the carnival. Once inside, they began to wonder around the place.

"This place is huge! Where do we even start looking?" Tomoki asked.

"Good question." Takuya said. "Guess we just have to search the place top to bottom."

"That's real helpful." Junpei stated.

"But it's also the only thing we really can do right now."

"Kouji, are you sure Lobomon did say anything about the exact location of it?"

"He didn't." Kouji said. "Just be glad that he could tell us this much." With that, he started to move on along with the rest of the group. Junpei sighed.

"You're all just loads of help," He sighed, following.

"I can't wait to find the portal!" Takuya said. "The Digital World was starting to kinda feel like a second home to me. And to be able to use the power of the Spirits again…"

"I wonder if we'll see Bokomon and Neemon again." Tomoki wondered.

"I hope so. I really miss the little guys." Izumi said. They all began to search, but Kouji stopped, feeling something strange. An image of the House of Mirrors appeared in his mind. His eyes widened a bit. That was odd. He regained his composure when he heard a voice though.

"Hey Kouji, why are you just standing there?" Kouichi asked. "Something wrong?"

"I know where the portal is," He declared suddenly. They all stared at him.

"But I thought you just said that Lobomon didn't tell you where it was!"

"He didn't. I don't know how, but I just know. Follow me." They all did as he said and went into the House of Mirrors.

"Here?" Takuya asked, frowning. Kouji nodded.

"One of these mirrors is actually the portal."

"Huh. Well then," He started looking around and took one mirror into his sights. "I think it's this one!" He ran straight at it and collided only with glass.

"You know, Takuya, you didn't have to run.…" Izumi said.

"But…I thought for sure it was this one…." Kouji received an image of someone walking through the mirror right next to the one Takuya ran into and walked over to it.

"It's this one." He said.

"Y-yeah, I meant to hit that one!" Takuya said, trying, and failing, to cover up his mistake. Kouji walked towards the mirror and went straight through it in a flash of light.

"Wow," Tomoki said. "I wonder how he knew that all of a sudden."

"Maybe it's Lobomon?" Izumi suggested.

"Hey guys, you coming or not?" Takuya asked, standing ready to jump into the mirror.

"Of course we are!"

"Well then get moving! Last one in is the rotten digi egg!" He said, diving in.

"That's no fair!"

"Well, I'm not gonna be the rotten digi egg!" Tomoki said, running through.

"Neither am I!" Junpei said, starting for it too. However, he tripped just short of the mirror, over what, who knows.

"That's what you think!" Izumi said, walking past him.

"Aw man!" Junpei groaned, getting up and hurrying through. He came to join the group, and was greeted with Izumi's smirk.

"Looks like you're not only a rotten digi egg, but a clumsy one too!"

"Oh, shut up, Izumi!" She giggled, but didn't taunt him further, instead looking at their surroundings with the rest of the group. They were standing in a peaceful looking field, a blue sky, and calm breeze. Ahead was a small, familiar town.

"Hey, isn't that where Bokomon and Neemon live?" Tomoki asked. Takuya nodded.

"Flame Terminal! We're back!" They all walked into the town and looked around.

"Umm…so does anyone know where exactly to find them at?"

"Let's ask one of those guys." Izumi suggested, motioning towards a group of digimon.

"Alright, but just steer clear of the Pagumon." Junpei said. He hadn't forgotten being attacked by a horde of them for chocolate. He and Tomoki may have been goners then if it hadn't been for Kouji. Izumi nodded. That was something all of them but Kouichi, who hadn't shown up until much later due to an accident in the real world, remembered.

Just when Izumi was going over to ask for directions, something hit Takuya from behind and sent him tumbling to the ground.

"OOF!" He groaned.

"Sorry!" A familiar voice said. The pressure left Takuya's back and he looked up to see two familiar digimon.

"Bokomon, Neemon!" He said. They stopped and turned, recognizing him now that they looked.

"Takuya?!" Bokomon gasped, staring with wide eyes.

"You're all back!" Neemon cheered. They ran over to the group.

"Yeah, in the flesh!" Takuya said. "Looks like we're meeting just like old times, too."

"What on earth are you all doing back here? I thought for sure that we'd never see you again!" Bokomon said.

"That's what we thought too. But anyway, we're back to help!"

"Help? With what?"

"You know, the old drill. The Digital World's in trouble, so we came back to save it again."

"But we're not in any trouble." Neemon said, then hesitated and looked to Bokomon. "Right?"

"For once you're right. As far as we know, there's no problems in the Digital World." The group glanced at each other then stared at Kouji.

"Hey! What're you all looking at me for?!" He demanded. "Lobomon said there was trouble!"

"Maybe that assault made you delusional." Takuya suggested. "Maybe you only imagined Lobomon…."

"I am NOT delusional! Besides, how else would I know that portal was there if Lobomon's message wasn't real?!"

"Lucky guess?"

"And just what are the odds of that?" Takuya sighed.

"Okay, you have a point…."

"I get the feeling that we're missing out on something here…." Bokomon said.

"Right. Kouji got attacked by something yesterday, and when he woke up, he said Lobomon told him the Digital World needed us all again."

"Yeah, then after saying Lobomon said nothing about the portal's location, he goes off and takes us directly to it saying he knew!" Junpei said. "So, Kouji, just what's going on here?"

"How should I know?! I'm just doing what I was told!"

"Alright boys, that's enough! This isn't helping!" Izumi said. Kouji sighed.

"I don't understand…Lobomon said that things would become clear once we arrived. He said he'd be here…."

"And so I am." They all turned to see all the spirits standing there. They each shouted the names of their spirits with glee.

"Lobomon!"

"Agunimon!"

"Loewemon!"

"Beetlemon!"

"Kazemon!"

"Kumamon!"

"Nice to see you all too!" Agunimon said.

"It's about time you showed up." Kouji said. "They were starting to believe I was crazy."

"Well, no worries now." Lobomon said. "For that, at least."

"Yeah, about that. What's going on?" Takuya asked.

"We fear that we have not seen the last of the corruption." The Spirit of Light said.

"There are stirrings of ancient evil yet again." Loewemon said.

"Could you stop being so cryptic, please?" Takuya asked. "Just spit it out. What ancient evil? Can't be Lucemon again…can it?"

"Yeah, it's Lucemon alright." Agunimon said.

"Man, that guy just doesn't learn to stay down, does he? Well, whatever. We'll just become Susanoomon again and kick his butt!"

"You could, but it's not going to be so easy as that. You're going to have to get used to fusing with us again after all this time."

"Oh, great…we're not going to have as much trouble as we did last time though, are we?" None of them were really looking forward to having to learn to control their Beast Spirits again. The only ones who didn't have a problem controlling them at first was Izumi for unknown reasons, and Kouichi because he had his mind set on protecting the group from Cherubimon.

"You'll most likely have trouble, but I can't say how much." Takuya groaned at this. "But hey, at least we're together again, right? Or did you not miss me?"

"No, don't get me wrong!" Takuya said. "I love being a digimon!" Agunimon nodded and grinned.

"That's what I thought. So, you ready to feel the heat again?"

"You bet!" The Spirit of Fire dashed straight into Takuya's body, taking him by surprise.

"Whoa! Man that feels weird! But also so right!" He grinned. "I'm on fire again!"

"Hey Izumi, ready to soar the skies again?" Kazemon asked.

"You know it!" Izumi answered. The Spirit of Wind flew into her. "Wow! It feels like a part of me that I hadn't even realized was missing returned!"

"Ready to give our enemies an electrifying punch they'll never forget, Junpei?" Beetlemon asked.

"Oh yeah!" Junpei cheered, and Beetlemon joined with him. "I feel more energetic, like I could run around the world! Erm, but not really…." He quickly corrected himself before he was challenged to by Izumi, who was giving him that look.

"Tomoki, you ready to scare those bullies frozen?" Kumamon asked.

"Of course!" Tomoki said. The Spirit of Ice became one with him. "Haha, I feel like no monster will be able to frighten me!"

"Kouichi, ready to bring out the best in the shadows?" Loewemon asked.

"Absolutely." Kouichi said. Loewemon fused with him, and Kouichi, quiet one of the group, simply smiled.

"Okay, Kouji, ready to purify evil in the name of the light?" Lobomon asked.

"Yeah." Kouji said. Lobomon melded with him, and immediately they both felt strange, and not in a good way like the others. It was a wrenching haze filling their bodies and minds, not exactly painful, but it sent chills through them both. It held them there, making them unable to do anything but stand there staring with wide eyes.

"Kouji? What's wrong?" Kouichi asked worriedly when his brother did nothing but stand there. The sound of his voice broke the trance though, and Kouji blinked, composing himself before the others saw his expression.

"No, sorry, nothing's wrong. It just felt so good to be reunited with Lobomon." Kouji lied. No reason to get the others worried when it was probably nothing. The others seemed to buy it, all except Kouichi. While the others began to speak with Bokomon and Neemon, Kouichi came closer and began to speak with Kouji.

"Now don't you go trying to give me that crap, Kouji."

"What do you mean 'crap'? Don't you believe me?"

"No. Remember when you said that when I suffer, you do too? Well, the same goes for me. I know something is wrong with you."

"Okay, okay, geez. It was probably just leftover pain from my wounds. You happy?"

"I guess. But remember, it's okay to be 'weak' sometimes. If anything at all is wrong, then you can tell me, okay? I mean, what are brothers for?" Kouji nodded.

"Okay, Kouichi. Thanks."

"Hey, Kouji, Kouichi, you guys gonna come practice with your spirits? We're gonna need as much warming up as possible to take out Lucemon again!" Takuya called. The two brothers looked at each other and nodded.

"Be right there!" Kouji called back. They ran over to where the others were already practicing. BurningGreymon was having a bit of a coordination problem, but he wasn't completely flipping out like last time. In fact, all them were having a few problems, even Zephyrmon, who didn't have a problem before. Kouji couldn't help smirking.

"What's the matter, O Graceful Warrior of the Wind?" He teased. She scowled.

"Just wait until you evolve! You're probably going to end up running into rocks again!"

"The great Kouji ran into a bunch of rocks?" Kouichi said, smirking at him. "This I have to see!"

"Knock it off, Kouichi! Let's see how well you fair this time!"

"Alright, let's see who tops who!" They both took out their D-Tectors. "Execute, Beast Spirit Evolution!" Kouichi called, and went through the transformation. "JagerLoewemon!" He then tried to show off, but ended up falling down. "Ugh! It's not so easy without the immediate motivation I had last time…." He groaned. Kouji smirked.

"Well, I guess it's my turn. Execute, Beast Spirit Evolution!" He went through the transformation then and howled upon completion. "KendoGarurumon!" He put on the super speed and was off, circling the others without a problem. "Heh, well what about that! No trouble at all this time!"

"Aw, Kouji, no fair! How'd you do that?" BurningGreymon demanded.

"I guess I'm just a natural!"

"Just wait until I get a hold of you!"

"First I think you need to get a hold of yourself!"

"Alright, boys, knock it off." Bokomon said. "So, I guess this means we'll all be going on another adventure, and of course I'll be accompanying you."

"Me too!" Neemon chimed in.

"Of course, we wouldn't have it any other way!" Korikakumon said.

"Before we leave, though, you guys should probably get in control of your spirits again." KendoGarurumon said.

"Yeah, I guess he's right." Zephyrmon sighed.

"I'll be over here taking it easy for a bit since I already seem to have it under control." He said walking away from the group. He was about to go back to human form when a voice that sounded like it belonged to a little girl spoke.

"Sorry, sweety, but you can't rest just yet. I didn't come all this way to see the Legendary Warrior of Light laying around."

"Huh?" KendoGarurumon turned to see a small pink and purple bunny with crescent moon designs.

"You heard me. I wanna fight. Let's go!" Sure, the bunny didn't look strong, but Kouji had already come to learn that things aren't always as they appear to be in the Digital World.

"Are you sided with Lucemon?"

"Of course! Now stop stalling, or are you afraid, puppy?"

"You're one to talk, little bunny! If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get!"

"Hmph, little, huh? We'll just have to do something about that, won't we? Lunamon digivolve to Lekismon!" The small bunny that was standing before him turned into a bigger one that was slightly insane looking, but then most things were here. "Alright, let's get this party started! Moon Night Kick!" She jumped up into the air and started down, aiming right at KendoGarurumon. He was too fast however, and managed to dodge.

"Too slow!" He said. "Now it's my turn! Howling Star!" He started dashing around at super speeds and sliced out at Lekismon with his Howling Blades. She was pretty quick too and managed to dodge most of it, but he did hit her once. She jumped back and smirked at him.

"Hmm, not too bad. But let's see how you stand up against this. Tear Arrow!" She began firing arrows made of ice at him. He managed to dodge most, but did get hit by a couple. After he was hit, he stopped dashing around and faced her.

"Lupine Laser!" He called, firing powerful beams of energy from his mouth. He matched her arrow for arrow, and almost even hit her once.

"Gah!" She cried, pulling back as it almost got her. "You're quick. Guess it's only to be expected since you managed to hold out against the great Lucemon for so long. Time to slow you down, wolf boy! Moon Night Bomb!" She created a ball of water and threw it at KendoGarurumon. It hit him, but seemed to do nothing.

"Was that supposed to be an attack! Path…e…tic…." He trailed off into a yawn. _What's going on? I'm so sleepy all of a sudden…_

"Ha! Well, now, wolfy, nighty-night! Moon Night Kick!" She leapt forth and delivered a powerful kick into KendoGarurumon's side, sending him flying back as he turned back into his human self. "You must still be a bit rusty after all that time, huh?" She spoke as she casually walked over to Kouji's side, who was struggling to keep awake.

"St-stay away…."

"Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you now. Just checking out the goods. See you later!" She said, then turned and ran. Kouji watched after her, but his vision blurred and he ended up getting overwhelmed by the sleepiness.

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So there you have it. Remember, constructive criticism is very much appreciated. If you do like it, please leave a little comment so I know someone is actually reading this and I'll post more.

And yeah, I just couldn't resist bringing Lucemon back. I like him, even if he is a twisted little cross-dresser. The actual series felt a little too rushed to me.

So anyway, that's all. See you later. Maybe.


	2. Prophecy

Well, here's part two. Thanks to those who faved/alerted, even if you didn't comment. Just as long as I know there's some point to updating this.

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon Frontier.

---------------------------------------------------

"Whew! Well, I think that's enough practice!" BurningGreymon said.

"Yeah, I'm tired." MetalKabuterimon agreed.

"And we did get basic control of our Beast Spirits again." Korikakumon said. They changed back to human form and walked over to Bokomon and Neemon.

"We're back, and quite ready for a rest! Beast Spirit taming isn't so easy!" Izumi said.

"Of course. You're going to need some, for tomorrow we head back out into the Digital World!" Bokomon said.

"Hey, where's Kouji?" Kouichi asked when he failed to see his brother with them.

"Hmm, I'm not really sure…."

"Oh, I know!" Neemon said. "I saw Kouji over there playing with a bunny!"

"A…bunny?"

"Mhm!" Bokomon snapped Neemon's waistband, as he always used to when Neemon said something stupid…which so happened to be just about every time the yellow digimon opened his mouth. "Owie!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Kouji isn't the type who would be playing with bunnies!"

"Yeah, that does sound suspicious." Takuya agreed.

"I think we'd better go check up on him." Tomoki suggested. They nodded and started running in the direction Neemon pointed towards. Kouichi picked up the pace when he saw the form lying on the ground.

"Oh no, Kouji!" He cried, running to his side.

"Man, wonder what he did to be targeted so much?" Takuya wondered.

"Kouji!" Kouichi flung himself down by his brother's side. "Kouji, get up, please!" Kouji groaned and turned away, swatting at Kouichi's hand.

"Pipe down, will you? Can't a guy get any sleep around here?" He grumbled sleepily.

"He was asleep?" Junpei said, raising an eyebrow at Kouji.

"Kouji, wake up!" Kouichi yelled, shaking his brother wildly.

"Ugh, okay, okay, I'm up! Geez…."

"Kouji, what happened? Why are you asleep all the way over here?!" He demanded.

"Huh…?" Kouji stared blankly a moment then suddenly became alert, looking around wildly. "Ah! Where'd she go?!"

"Where'd who go?!" Takuya demanded.

"Lekismon! She came out and challenged me before I shifted back into human form! At first I had the upper hand, but she used a skill that made me really sleepy." Kouji gave a big yawn, emphasizing his point. "Nn, guess I'm not completely over it."

"Well, I guess as long as you're okay…. Come on, let's get back to the village. We can rest once we're there, okay?" Kouichi proposed, offering his hand. Kouji stared at it a moment before nodding and accepting his help.

"Right. Thanks." Now with Kouji back in the group, they all headed back to rest up for their big journey. Kouichi smiled and appeared to be in thought.

"What're you thinking about?" Kouji asked.

"Oh, nothing. It's just, this new adventure seems so exciting. I'm so glad I can share it all from the beginning with you guys this time."

"Yeah, I am too."

"We're all glad to have you, Kouichi." Izumi said.

"You and Kouji may be the only ones actually related here, but it feels almost like we're all family now." Takuya said.

"Well, sorry to interrupt this touching conversation, but we're back." Bokomon said. "Welcome to our home. You never got to see it before."

"It's nice." Izumi said as they all went inside.

"Yes, but unfortunately, it wasn't exactly made for so many people. It may be a bit cramped."

"Oh, that's alright."

"Say, where's Patamon, Salamon and Lopmon?" Tomoki asked.

"Hey, yeah. We haven't seen them at all yet." Junpei said.

"Oh, those three…." Bokomon said. "It's seems my baby, and the others, have all grown up. They're no longer living with me. They evolved once more and went back to being guardians of the Digital World." He sighed sadly, tears coming to his eyes. "I miss them so much, but I'm proud, too, and must support them no matter what. Being a mother is such hard work." They all sweat-dropped as Bokomon started to sob.

"Err…sorry I asked…." Tomoki said, backing away. Eventually, they all settled down and went to sleep. The next morning, they got a bit to eat and were ready to go in no time.

"Alright, everyone! Let's go!" Takuya said, starting off.

"Hey, Takuya, can I ask you something?" Kouichi asked suddenly.

"Sure, what is it?"

"Where exactly are we going to?"

"Umm….I…don't know."

"Then if I may make a suggestion…." Bokomon started.

"Go ahead."

"We should seek out the three Celestial Digimon, Seraphimon, Ophanimon and Cherubimon. Perhaps they can shed a little more light on the situation."

"Hey, not a bad idea. And maybe on the way there we'll find something out for ourselves."

"Then it's decided. Come along." They started off on their way. They eventually made it into the forest, and without any problems, which was somewhat unexpected.

"This is weird. I don't like it." Izumi said, glancing around.

"Why are you complaining? Our journey's going much smoother than last time." Takuya said.

"Exactly! Don't you find that a little odd?"

"Don't worry, Izumi, they're probably just scared to come out and face my power. If we do get attacked, I'll protect you!"

"Thanks, Junpei, but I do have my own Spirits, remember?"

"Of course! I wasn't saying you're weak or anything…." He sighed as Izumi turned away from him, walking forward. "Man, I'll never understand girls…." Kouji was glancing around too, glaring into the shadows as they walked.

"Does anyone else get the feeling we're being watched?" He asked.

"Well, I guess it's no surprise Kouji's being paranoid too…." Takuya sighed.

"Takuya, have you forgotten everything we learned here before?! There's something here, that shadow just moved!"

"Impressive, Kouji. Your senses aren't too bad even while in human form." A voice said. They all turned to see a bunny-like digimon in a tree.

"Lekismon!" Kouji growled.

"What's the matter, puppy, aren't you happy to see me?"

"Like hell I am! You know, you have a pretty big mouth for a bunny!"

"I'll show you, mutt!"

"Bring it, psycho rabbit!"

"You cannot talk to a lady like that! How rude! What I wouldn't give to be able to just destroy you right now…."

"So you realize that you're not strong enough, huh?" Takuya said. He put a hand on Kouji's shoulder. "No one beats my buddy here!"

"Uhh…Takuya…?" Kouji started, staring at him.

"Okay, I'll just take it all out on you then! You don't even know the half of it!" She growled. "I have to go now though! Check you later!" She jumped from the branch, giving Kouji a cold stare as she passed by over head then disappeared into the trees. Kouji sighed.

"Man, why do I seem to have everyone after me all of a sudden?" He groaned.

"Okay, so you have a psycho rabbit on your tail, and now apparently mine." Takuya said. "It…could be worse."

"Yeah, I guess…" Kouji sighed.

"That was strange and all, but can we get moving again?" Bokomon asked.

"We're not going to get any answers standing around here." Junpei agreed.

"Right, let's go! Don't worry about that psychotic bunny, Kouji, we can take it!"

"Right." They moved on again and got pretty far without disturbance.

"We're making great time!" Tomoki said.

"Yeah, aside from that little creep, we're doing great!" Junpei said.

"We're just going to have to do something about that then, aren't we?" A new voice said. They braced themselves as a digimon that looked like a giant red hawk with the horns and mane of a minotaur appeared. "I've been waiting for a chance to fight the so called Legendary Warriors."

"It's Aquilamon!" Bokomon gasped.

"Well, Aquilamon, if it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get!" Takuya said. "Execute, Spirit Evolution! Agunimon!"

"Lobomon!"

"Loewemon!"

"Beetlemon!"

"Kazemon!"

"Kumamon!"

"Well, it's good to see that you won't disappoint there." Aquilamon said, eyeing them. "Now, show me what you've got!"

"With pleasure! Pyro Darts!" Agunimon threw fire at Aquilamon, who flew up and dodged it.

"Lobo Kendo!" Lobomon called, running over and striking with his glowing blade. Aquilamon blocked it with his horns and tossed Lobomon aside.

"Shadow Meteor!" Loewemon yelled, firing a beam of dark energy. This grazed Aquilamon's side.

"Not bad." The feathered digimon said. "My turn! Grand Horn!" His horns glowed red and he charged, connecting directly with Agunimon.

"Agunimon! That does it!" Beetlemon yelled. "Thunder Fist!" He rushed forward, but his target flew into the air, and he ended up hitting Agunimon instead.

"Ow! Beetlemon!"

"Sorry…."

"Mach Impulse!" Aquilamon shouted, flapping his wings harder and sending waves of scorching hot air down at the two boys.

"Oh no!" Kazemon gasped. "Hurricane Wave!" Small, long tornadoes shot from her fingertips, and she used it to cool the air down, blocking Aquilamon's attack.

"Crystal Freeze!" Kumamon yelled, exhaling a blast of icy wind, freezing Aquilamon's wings and forcing him to land. He growled at them.

"You two…. I'll make you regret being born!" He snarled, getting ready to attack.

"I don't think so! Lobo Kendo!" Lobomon yelled, rushing back in with his blade. This time he got a direct hit, but instead of anger, he seemed to get satisfaction from Aquilamon.

"Stealth Quarrel!" Aquilamon said, hitting Lobomon direct on with razor sharp feathers and sending him back into a tree. Though the attack didn't hurt much, he felt something else stirring within. It was only a lightly painful pulsating sensation, but with the combination he couldn't stop from gasping and becoming dazed for a moment.

"Lobomon!" Loewemon called. "Shadow Lance!" He rushed over and attacked with his spear, but like with Lobomon the first time, Aquilamon blocked with his horns. Before he could do anything further to Loewemon, however, Lobomon steadied himself somewhat.

"Howling Laser!" He called, shooting Aquilamon square in the face. Aquilamon groaned then began to laugh for some reason.

"Well, that'll be all for now. It was fun." Aquilamon started to fly away. As he flew, Lobomon felt the pulsating again, not strong enough for him to flinch, but something must've given him away as his noticed Aquilamon give him a strange look, as if he were happy for some reason.

"Wait! Get back here!" Agunimon yelled, but the feathered digimon was gone.

"Is everyone okay?" Kazemon asked.

"It could've been worse." Agunimon said.

"Yeah. I'm okay." Beetlemon said.

"Kouji?" Loewemon asked, concerned by Lobomon's stillness. The Warrior of Light blinked and shook his head.

"I'm fine. We have no casualties, so let's get going again."

"Actually, I think we might better make camp. It's getting late." Kazemon suggested, turning back into Izumi. Everyone followed suit.

"Yeah, I'm beat." Junpei said.

"Beat? I thought we won!" Neemon said.

"Quiet, you!" Bokomon snapped. _Snap!_

"Ow!"

"Anyway, I'm with Izumi." Takuya said. "We made good enough progress in one day." Kouji nodded.

"Right, then."

"So what about supper?" Junpei asked.

"You really think we would've learned after all the trouble we had getting food last time…." Takuya said, frowning.

"Hey look, more meat apples!" Tomoki said.

"Ah, excellent!" Bokomon said. "Now we just need a fire."

"I'll collect some wood!" Takuya volunteered.

"I'll come too." Tomoki offered.

"Great! Hey Kouji, can you start the fire afterwards?"

"Sure." Kouji sat down with his back pressed against one of the trees as the two moved on. Kouichi sat down next to Kouji, and Izumi and Junpei sat on the other side of the break.

"That was a pretty good battle. I see none of you boys lost your touch after this time." Izumi commented.

"Aw, it was nothing." Junpei said with a light blush. Kouichi nodded.

"You have to admit that we're not completely up to speed yet though." Kouichi said.

"Yeah, well, I'm sure that'll change soon." She looked to Kouji. "Hey Kouji, you're being awfully quiet over there." She said.

"Aren't I usually?" Kouji asked.

"Well, yeah."

"So what's the problem?"

"No problem! Chill out, geez…"

"Hey Kouji, something's bothering you. Would you like to talk about it?" Kouichi asked.

"No! Nothing's wrong! Everyone is okay, so so am I!" Kouji snapped.

"Kouji, remember what I said before?"

"_Remember when you said that when I suffer, you do too? Well, the same goes for me. I know something is wrong with you."  
_

"_Okay, okay, geez. It was probably just leftover pain from my wounds. You happy?"  
_

"_I guess. But remember, it's okay to be weak sometimes. If anything at all is wrong, then you can tell me, okay? I mean, what are brothers for?" Kouji nodded.  
_

"_Okay, Kouichi. Thanks."_

"You know that I know that you're upset, and you agreed to tell me."

"You just said that I could talk to you, not that I had to."

"Well, now I'm telling you to tell me."

"Make me!"

"Guys, stop! You shouldn't be fighting each other!" Izumi pleaded.

"Yeah, what happened there? You guys never fight!" Junpei said. This calmed to the two boys down.

"Sorry, Kouichi…I guess I kinda overreacted." Kouji said, looking away.

"I did too. I'd prefer it if you did tell me, but I can't make you if you don't want to…." Kouichi said. They met eyes and smiled at each other.

"I guess it's just that I'm a little worried about us and the Digital World. Fighting Lucemon took a lot, and if it turns out he's back even after all that, and stronger…." Kouji said. It wasn't entirely a lie, he did worry about that, but that wasn't his main concern at the moment.

"Kouji, don't worry. Remember, believing is what got us through before. As long as we continue to believe and try as hard as we can, we can do it!" Kouichi said, putting a hand on Kouji's shoulder. Kouji smiled and nodded.

"Thanks, bro."

"Well, sure didn't take much for you two to be nice to each other again…." Junpei said.

"It's amazing how well you two get along." Izumi commented. The brothers just smiled. Kouji made himself stop worrying so much about the pulsating he's been feeling. Maybe he just had to break into his digimon Spirits again in a different way, since he physically had control, although he did wonder what the appraising looks from their enemies had been about. The others came back, Kouji started the fire, and after eating they all had a peaceful sleep.

---------------------------------------------------

The next day they ate some leftover meat apple for breakfast before moving on. Before long, the building where they first met Seraphimon came into sight - the palace made of crystal.

"Whew! Finally!" Junpei said.

"Hey, it was a lot quicker than our progress last time here, remember?" Izumi reminded him.

"Right. Well, thank goodness for that at least. But still…."

"Oh quit complaining! Now at least we're here, and maybe we can find out more about what exactly is going on! Things seem a lot more peaceful than they were last time." Takuya said. They nodded and went up to the door, knocking. "Hello? Seraphimon? Anybody home? It's us again, the humans with the Legendary Warriors!" After a moment, the door creaked open, and there stood the three Celestial Digimon.

"Hello there, Seraphimon! Papamon's home!" Bokomon cried.

"Hello there, Bokomon." Bokomon spazzed out.

"'Bokomon'? He no longer calls me daddy! Oh, they get so independent so quickly!" He sobbed.

"Come on in, children." Ophanimon said, ignoring the mutant digimon. They stepped inside and made themselves comfortable.

"I must take this time to properly apologize to you all and to thank you for stopping my mindless rampage." Cherubimon said.

"It was our pleasure." Takuya said. "Well, it wasn't pleasurable fighting you, but you get what I mean." Cherubimon nodded.

"But I think I most of all owe Kouichi, for all I put him through. I made him forget himself, and even forced him against his own brother. For that, I am very sorry."

"Bygones are bygones." Kouichi said. "Really, I'm glad that you brought me here. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to be here with him." They smiled at each other.

"Good. Now that that's out of the way, we can move on to the situation at hand." Ophanimon said.

"Yeah, just what exactly is going on here?" Kouji asked. "The Spirits called us back, but failed to give us much more information than Lucemon being back. We met a couple of digimon on his side, but the only thing they did was challenge us to brief fights before running away."

"Yes, that is the puzzling part."

"Huh?"

"We know that Lucemon has stirred, and that he has a horde of new minions…." Cherubimon started.

"But so far, they have failed to do anything serious." Seraphimon finished.

"What? But why not?" Tomoki asked.

"We don't know. We're not even sure where Lucemon is hiding. Neither he or his minions have been making their existence very well known."

"You say you saw them, then?" Ophanimon asked.

"Yeah, like Kouji said, they came, fought us shortly, then ran away." Junpei said.

"They're evaluating us." Kouichi said all of a sudden. The whole room turned to look at him.

"What do you mean, Kouichi?" Takuya asked.

"I mean that they must be being wary of us after last time. They must be waiting to get us, the only ones who can stand in their way."

"That makes sense." Izumi said.

"Yeah, it does." Takuya agreed. "Lucemon is afraid of us becoming Susanoomon again and kicking his butt!"

"So, how do we find out where Lucemon is?" Tomoki asked.

"That's a good question…."

"Perhaps I can be of some assistance." They all turned and gasped upon seeing the voice's owner.

"Baronmon!"

"Yes, it is I, great Legendary Warriors."

"You got reborn too!" Izumi said happily.

"Yes, thanks to you kids, many digimon have been able to start over and go about their lives in peace. It is a shame that that peace cannot last for long. I have come with another prophecy."

"Oh boy, another one. Is it as crackpot as the first one you gave us about the Digital World being destroyed?" Takuya asked.

"Well, it did happen. Just what I didn't see was it being restored. Now do you want to hear what I have to say or not?"

"Yes, please. We have no idea where to start." Kouichi said.

"Old enemies begin the struggle to resurface," Baronmon began. "but they are weak, and cannot cause much damage. However, if good does not tread carefully, there will be no hope, for the evil will become unstoppable when Light falls to darkness." Kouji's eyes widened at the last line as he felt a chill run down his spine, and Baronmon seemed to look straight at him knowingly. The emphasis he seemed to put on that word….

Nobody else seemed to notice. Maybe he was just paranoid, like Takuya said….

"That's it?" Takuya asked, seeming relived along with most of the group. "Lucemon is actually weaker than he was before?"

"Yes, but remember, at the slightest mistake, the tables could turn drastically."

"No problem! Sounds to me like the real challenge here is going to be finding him!" He cheered obliviously. Kouichi looked over, his expression happy at first, but quickly became concerned upon seeing Kouji's expression. He didn't say anything though.

"We'll start our search in the mountain area." The brothers tuned back in to hear Takuya's declaration. He turned to look at them. "Alright, guys?" They glanced at each other and nodded.

"Fine by us." Kouji said.

"Then you may start your journey tomorrow," Cherubimon said.

"Tomorrow? Shouldn't we get moving?" Junpei asked.

"It's already evening. We couldn't send you children out now." Ophanimon said.

"You may stay here as honored guests tonight. We will provide a feast and comfortable beds for you." Seraphimon said.

"Wow, thanks!" Tomoki said. They were shown to their rooms. Each one was large with two beds and was very luxurious.

"Thank you." Kouji said as he and Kouichi were taken to their room. "This room is nice." He said, appraising it.

"Yes, it is." Kouichi said in a detached sort of way. Kouji sighed.

"You want to know about the look earlier, don't you?"

"If you don't mind. You don't have to tell me, but I'm here if you want to…." There was silence, and Kouichi was just starting to become certain Kouji wasn't going to talk when he did.

"I'm…worried, Kouichi. And it's not just about fighting Lucemon again. I've been worried about something else ever since the first time you asked, that something was wrong, but I didn't want to worry you until I knew it was well enough founded. That prophecy…when it mentions the light…I think it may mean me."

"What are you talking about, Kouji? You're not evil, and if the darkness has anything to do with me, I would never harm you! I would die first!" Kouji clenched his fists and turned away.

"Please Kouichi, don't say that. If something happens to me, and we end up fighting for whatever reason, I want you to fight for all you're worth."

"That's not going to happen though. It's impossible."

"You were once on their side. They once controlled your mind. What if they do the same thing to me? Those two enemies we faced, the looks they gave me…it was like they were expectant of me, like they were appraising me and my abilities. And the feeling I got…it was horrible. It hurt, and numbed my mind. If they can use something like that against me…if they can numb my consciousness enough…."

"Kouji…." Kouichi started, staring at his brother with concern. He put a hand on Kouji's shoulder and made his brother face him. "Kouji, listen to me. I promise you, I will not let them use you like that! I will fight them with all my might to keep you from ever having to face something like that!"

"K-Kouichi…."

"I promise…." Kouichi pulled Kouji into a hug, and Kouji, after standing rigid for a moment, melted into the hug.

"Kouichi…thank you. I'll fight them with every strand of my being as well. I don't want to hurt you. I don't want to work with those scum."

"You won't."

"Oh, hey guys… Sorry, am I interrupting something?" Takuya asked. They turned to look at him.

"It's fine. What is it?" Kouji asked.

"It's dinner time!"

"Alright, we'll be right there." Kouichi said.

"Well, you'd better hurry before Junpei eats it all." Takuya joked before running off.

"Shall we, brother?" Kouichi asked.

"After you." They walked out into the hallways and made their way to the dining hall. Before they even entered, they could smell all sorts of wonderful scents. When they finally entered, their eyes were greeted with the sight of their friends sitting at a large table with a lot of delicious-looking food strewn about it.

"Wow!" Kouichi breathed.

"This looks fit for a king." Kouji said.

"It's the least we could do in exchange for your support in helping our world." Seraphimon said.

"Indeed. Come and sit." Ophanimon said, gesturing to a couple of chairs sitting next to each other. The brothers sat down.

"First of all, a toast to the Legendary Warriors!" Cherubimon said a bit unexpectedly. Takuya and Junpei grinned, Tomoki opened his mouth in a smile, Izumi and Kouichi smiled and blushed lightly, while Kouji averted his eyes and only gave a small smile. Kouichi looked over and noticed that his brother's eyes gave away a different feeling than the rest of his expression.

"Kouji? What's wrong? Do you have that feeling again?" He whispered. Kouji shook his head.

"No, this is just a little awkward…. I'm fine though, honest this time!" He said, looking up at his twin and smiling for convincingly. Kouichi, satisfied with this answer, nodded and smiled back.

"Hey you two, no whispering at the table!" Takuya said. "It's not polite!"

"And just what do you know about being polite?" Kouji asked.

"Why you-!"

"Come on, guys, I thought you were over arguing like that!" Junpei said.

"Blame him for starting it!" Takuya said, pointing at Kouji, who scowled.

"You're the one who interrupted me and my brother."

"Well, you two are always whispering to each other!"

"We're brothers, genius!"

"Me and my brother never talk like that!" Kouji just shook his head.

"C'mon guys, we can't be fighting each other now!" Tomoki said.

"Yeah," Izumi said. "Seraphimon, Ophanimon and Cherubimon have graciously invited us in, and you spent your time like this!"

"Sorry," The two boys mumbled.

"It's quite alright," Ophanimon said. "After all, even though you do possess the Legendary Spirits, you are still children." Both Kouji and Takuya took some offense to this, but said nothing. Instead, with that quarrel smoothed out and soon forgotten, everyone began to enjoy the feast together. They ate until they were full, talked with each other and joked around for at least an hour. Finally, they began to clear out of the dining hall with the parting words of 'good night'. Before leaving, Kouji stopped and turned to bow to the three Celestial Digimon.

"Thank you," He said politely with a smile. Kouichi nodded, smiling as well.

"It was our pleasure." Ophanimon said. The twins then moved on to their room for the night.

---------------------------------------------------

They arose the next morning at daybreak for an early start and began their farewells.

"Bye, guys!" Takuya said.

"Thanks for letting us stay here like that!" Izumi added.

"Wait." Baronmon said as they were turning to leave. The group looked to him with questioning looks. "I can tell you where you need to go to begin your quest to find and stop Lucemon. You need to climb to the peak of one of the Digital World's tallest mountains, near where the KaratsukiNumemon live. You should find something there." This obviously heightened the group's spirits.

"Thanks, Baronmon!" Tomoki said.

"I will arrange for you to be taken by Trailmon." Ophanimon added.

"Alright! That's great, thanks!" Takuya cheered. With that, they were off to the Trailmon station at the base of the tree.

"Talk about a great start to this adventure!" Junpei said. "Hardly any opposition, a nice relaxing stay at the Guardians' place, and now a ride directly to our destination! Much simpler than our first time around!"

"I know, and not to mention the fact that Lucemon is weakened! Seems to me we'll have this job done in record time!"

"Don't fall out of line, guys! There's still a chance to mess this up! We need to remain vigilant!" Kouji said sternly, walking ahead. Neemon cocked his head.

"Why is Kouji so serious?"

"He's just being cautious, which I think is what some people need to be more." Bokomon said suggestively.

"Really? Like who?"

"Like you, you nincompoop!" _Snap!_

"Ow!" Kouichi just followed along silently, watching his brother intently. He was watching closely for any sign of danger to his brother's wellbeing while at the same time wishing there was something he could do to help soothe him. Izumi looked over to him and followed his gaze, then narrowed her eyes thoughtfully a moment before sliding next to him.

"Hey, Kouichi." He turned his head to nod to her slightly.

"Izumi."

"You know something about Kouji that we don't, don't you?"

"What…what are you talking about?" Kouichi lied very unconvincingly.

"You know exactly what! It's no use lying to me, Kouichi. A girl can sense these things." Kouichi grit his teeth and thought of the vow, unspoken yet understood, that what was said between brothers would stay between brothers; Kouji would be mad at him if he revealed what took so much for him to just confide in his brother with.

"I can't tell you." Kouichi said, shaking his head. "If Kouji wants you to know, he'll say so himself. Right now, it's a brother thing. Sorry." Izumi looked disappointed, but nodded.

"Alright, if you're sure…. Just remember, if it's something that could spell trouble, you should let us know, though, okay?" Kouichi just nodded and went back to watching his brother. They soon arrived at the station and, sure enough, there was a Trailmon waiting for them. Tomoki grinned and ran over.

"Angler!"

"Hello, children! Long time no see, eh?" The German-accented Trailmon said, returning the grin best a train-like being can.

"You can say that again!"

"My, my, is that little Tomoki? You've grown!"

"Yeah! I'm grown up, now!"

"I see! Well, I hear you all are off on another adventure, and this time I get to send you off! Oh, it's so exciting!"

"Yeah, but I believe this time around will be much quicker, so no worries!" Takuya said. "We'll have Lucemon wishing he had never decided to show his face again in no time!"

"I sure hope so! That Lucemon sends shivers down my frame! Well, hop aboard, children, and I'll take you to the mountains!" They all boarded excitedly. It wasn't like they've never ridden trains before, but rather, there was just something about riding a living train across a wild landscape like the Digital World. While everyone else chattered and stared out the window, the twins stayed on the other side of the car to talk in private.

"Kouji, how are you feeling? You haven't felt the pulsating again, have you?" Kouichi asked, his overwhelming, honest concern showing in his eyes. Kouji smiled at him.

"No, I haven't. So far so good." Kouichi nodded, but his worry didn't fade much. "Kouichi, you really don't have to worry so much about me."

"Yes, I do! It's my job as the older brother to be concerned with your safety!" Kouji rolled his eyes.

"You're just older by what, five minutes?" Kouichi blushed lightly but didn't let up.

"Well, I'm still older, and I worry about you! I don't want you to have to go through anything like I did when I first came here…."

"Kouichi, don't worry. We've gotten this far and haven't messed up yet. Maybe I'm just being paranoid."

"But what if you're not?"

"Well, then, I'll just have to 'tread carefully' so I don't fall." Kouichi nodded.

"And I'll be right behind you to hold on to you." The brothers smiled at each other.

"Hey, Kouji, Kouichi, what're doing back there? You're missing all the scenery!" Tommy called.

"Alright, we'll be right up there!" Kouji said. "Or is big brother scared I'll fall out the window?"

"Very funny, Kouji!" Koichi said, giving his brother a playful shove. They walked on up to gaze out the windows with the others. The Digital World was indeed a sight to behold; you'd be hard pressed to find any one spot as grand in the human world. Lush green forest soon gave way to open, grassy plains that gradually got hillier and less green as they neared the mountains. Finally, they came to a stop, not at the KaratsukiNumemon village, as it wasn't exactly the best place for people like them to maneuver around, being on the side of a vertical mountain, but near it.

"Well, I'm afraid this is where I must leave you. Good luck, children!" Angler said, opening the doors. The group filed out.

"Thanks, Angler!" Izumi said. "See you!" They waved as the train digimon took off then turned to examine the mountains.

"Now I wonder which one of these mountains is the right one…." Takuya wondered. The rest of the group turned and looked.

"Well, Baronmon said it was one of the tallest in the Digital World, so, wouldn't it be the tallest mountain here?" Kouichi suggested.

"Makes sense," Izumi agreed.

"Yeah, but which one's the tallest?" Junpei asked.

"You've got me there. They're all so tall." Kouichi said, frowning.

"No problem, guys!" Takuya said. "We can just Spirit Evolve and fly up there!"

"I can't fly…." Tomoki said.

"Those of us who can will carry those who can't, just like before. Let's see…Kouji, Kouichi, you guys can't fly either, right?"

"Right." Kouichi answered with a nod.

"Alright, then just hang on. You guys ready?" Junpei and Izumi nodded, taking out their D-Tectors.

"Execute, Spirit Evolution!" They called.

"Beetlemon!"

"Kazemon!"

"Execute, Beast Spirit Evolution! BurningGreymon!" With that, Kazemon picked up Tomoki, Beetlemon picked up Kouichi and Neemon, and BurningGreymon got Kouji and Bokomon, and they took off at high speeds. Tomoki quickly grabbed onto his hat, but Kouji's bandanna flew off his head. His jerked his head around after it, and found that Kouichi was smiling at him, bandanna in hand. Kouji sighed and smiled back, relieved. Kouichi, with a playful smile, took the bandanna and tied it around his own head, though being careful to not let it blow away again. Had his hair been longer, he could have passed for his brother.

After flying around a bit, looking at the mountain tops, Kazemon called out to the others.

"Hey guys, I think I found something!" They all flew over to her.

"What is it?" Beetlemon asked.

"I'm not sure, but there's something there!"

"Well, let's check it out!" Takuya said, flying over. After they landed and put down their charges, they went back into human form and walked over to examine it as Kouichi handed back the bandanna. "It's a bunch of markings. I can't understand any of it!"

"Hey Bokomon, can you understand it?" Kouji asked.

"Well, I don't see why I wouldn't be able to," The mutant digimon said, walking over. "I do know every text known to digimon." He began examining it. "Mhm…interesting…."

"You mind filling us in?" Junpei asked.

"It would seem that this is some sort of spell. I'm not sure for what, though. It doesn't say."

"Hey, maybe this spell is why Baronmon sent us here!" Takuya said. "Maybe it'll help us stop Lucemon! What's it say? What do we do?"

"Wait, are you sure we should try it?" Tomoki asked. "I mean, what if this isn't it? Anything could happen!"

"I'm confident that this what we have to do! Do you see anything else around here that could be of any use? Besides, if anything bad does happen, I'm sure we can take care of it!"

"That's reassuring," Kouji muttered.

"Very well. If you're sure, Takuya, come here. You can help me." Bokomon said. The others stood back to watch as they began. Kouji glanced around, feeling uneasy. This was too easy…there must be some kind of catch. As soon as the spell began, Kouji widened his eyes and clenched his fists, feeling the pulsating feeling. At first it wasn't too bad, but it slowly got stronger. Kouichi looked at him and came over immediately, noticing his brother's rigid posture and pained expression.

"Kouji? What is it? Are you okay?" He asked. Kouji opened his mouth to answer, but a particularly powerful pulse coursed through him and instead of words he released a small cry of pain and doubled over, his hands flying up to hold his head. "Kouji?!" By now, the others were starting to notice the scene they were making, minus Bokomon and Takuya, who were too absorbed in the spell to notice, and looked over.

"Hey, what's wrong with Kouji?" Izumi asked. Kouichi shook his head.

"I'm not sure! I just looked over and saw him…it might be…." Kouichi gasped as he realized what it was and held onto Kouji. "Hang on, Kouji! I'm here for you! Don't fall!"

"What is he talking about?" Tomoki asked. The others shrugged.

"Beats me. Doesn't look like Kouji's falling to me." Junpei said.

And from a ledge just below a certain rabbit digimon was watching the scene play out, a smirk on her lips.

"So, the Master's plan is falling into place…. Too bad I can't let it happen. It'll ruin my own plans. All right, my pet, time to go!"

"Kouji! Kouji, please, hang on!" Kouichi cried. Kouji forced an eye open to look at his brother, but then saw something else that made his blood run cold.

"Look out!" He yelled.

"'Look out'?" Kouichi repeated, blinking stupidly at him. That hadn't exactly been what he had been expecting. Kouji pulled Kouichi to the ground just in time to dodge the stinger of a large skeletal scorpion.

"Ah! What is that thing?!" Izumi cried. It snarled at them.

"Stupid humans! Stay still and let me hit you! I promise you it will be painless…." It hissed. Bokomon and Takuya stopped the spell, finally distracted by all the commotion. As soon as the spell stopped, the pulsing in Kouji's body ceased as well and he gasped for breath, feeling drained but relieved.

"Whoa!" Takuya cried, taking in the scene. "What's going on?!"

"Oh my, this isn't good!" Bokomon said. "That's SkullScorpiomon, the 'Desert Assassin'! One prick by its stinger and it's game over!"

"Alright, guys, you heard him! Let's take him out and be careful not to get hit! Execute, Fusion Evolution! Aldamon!"

"Execute, Spirit Evolution!"

"Loewemon!"

"Kazemon!"

"Beetlemon!"

"Kumamon!" Kouji pulled out his D-Tector and started to stand, but Loewemon put a hand on his shoulder, making him stop and look up.

"Sit this one out."

"But-!"

"No buts. You're still weak. Let us handle this." His expression softened slightly. "Don't worry, I'll fight hard enough for the both of us." Kouji was still not satisfied, but he forced a small smile and nodded.

"Alright. Be careful." Loewemon nodded and turned just in time to block the stinger.

"Shadow Lance!" He said, knocking it back.

"Atomic Inferno!" Aldamon called, hitting SkullScorpiomon with a barrage of rocketing fireballs.

"Lightning Blitz!" Beetlemon yelled, letting off a powerful electric discharge.

"Crystal Freeze!" Kumamon called, breathing out icy cold wind. SkullScorpiomon hissed in pain from their attacks.

"Wow, this is too easy!" Aldamon said.

"Yeah, and I thought we'd be in for at least a shred of challenge!" Beetlemon agreed. SkullScorpiomon narrowed his eyes at them and smirked.

"Alright, if that's how you want it, then playtime is over! Black Out!" Fog covered the area, blinding them all. "Let's see how well you fight when I get to use my specialty - stealth!"

SkullScorpiomon began to creep around silently, making everyone freak out. His tail went darting straight for Kazemon, who just barely dodged it with a scream.

"Kazemon! You okay?" Beetlemon asked.

"Y-yeah, he missed."

"Let's see if you're so lucky next time…." SkullScorpiomon said ominously, making her whimper slightly.

"Okay, guys, let's not panic!" Aldamon said. "We dealt with this before with Sakkakumon, remember?"

"Yeah, but then it wasn't 'one hit, you're out'!" Kazemon cried. Kumamon screamed and a thud was heard.

"Tomoki?!"

"I-I'm fine!" Kumamon said. "It wasn't his stinger!"

"Man, we gotta do something…."

"Kazemon!" Kouji called, getting an idea. "Use the power of the wind!"

"Huh?" Kazemon asked.

"It's fog, right? Maybe you can blow it away!"

"Hey, yeah! Good idea, Kouji! Tempest Twist!" She started spinning around rapidly, creating powerful gusts of wind that, sure enough, blew the fog away.

"Alright, Kazemon!" Beetlemon cheered. They now had a clear shot at SkullScorpiomon.

"Time to finish this! Solar Wind Destroyer!" Aldamon yelled, creating a large fireball of explosive power and hurling it directly at SkullScorpiomon. Direct hit. The evil digimon screamed in pain as it flew back, towards the edge of the mountain.

"I can't believe this!" He hissed, then noticed Kouji was standing not too far from where he was. Just before going over, he lashed out his tail and dragged Kouji over with him.

"Kouji!" Loewemon screamed, running to the edge to watch helplessly as his brother plummeted rapidly towards the ground.

"Hang on, Kouji, I'm coming!" Aldamon yelled, but just before he could jump over and fly after his friend, he found himself dedigivolving along with the rest of the group and feeling a little dizzy. "What?! No! Kouji!"

"Kouji, you have to learn to fly! Flap your arms!" Neemon called.

"Be quiet, you idiot!" Bokomon scolded. "Now's not the time for your stupidity!"

"I'm just trying to help…"

The others, as usual, ignored it while doing the one thing they could do, which was watch helplessly as Kouji fell out of sight to his death.

"No…Kouji…my brother…." Kouichi whispered, falling to his knees, tears beginning to stream down his face. Takuya had fallen to his knees too, and punched the ground angrily.

"Dammit! Why?! What happened?!"

"It's the toxins from the mist." Bokomon explained. "The fog was only slightly poisonous, but it's very draining over time. Luckily, it's only mild, so it shouldn't be life threatening. Just sit down and wait it out." The ones still standing all sat in a group together. Takuya, after taking one last look over the edge, dragged himself over, but Kouichi wasn't about to move, just sit there and stare at the spot where his brother was moments ago and replay it in his head. The others, for the meantime, let him mourn in peace.

---------------------------------------------------

_Falling! Why is it always falling?!_ Kouji thought as the wind swirled roughly around him, his speed making it almost feel like whips. He had stopped screaming by now as the wind alone was already stealing enough of his breath. He glanced at the quickly approaching ground and blanched, screwing his eyes shut. _Ugh! I'm really going to die this time, aren't I?_ He tensed, waiting to land. This was going to be messy…..

His whole body was jarred somewhat painfully and all the breath was knocked out of him as he landed, though it wasn't quite as painful as he imagined it would've been. Maybe he got lucky and died immediately on impact, before the pain had time to really set in. He still felt what pain showed up, and he felt his body moving, flying through the air at a much more comfortable pace.

Was this what death felt like? He didn't feel any different. Kouji opened his eyes and saw that the scenery hadn't really even changed; he was still at the mountain, flying around it on something warm and soft. He took a look at himself, seeing that he was in one piece and relatively unharmed. The wheels in his head turned slowly as he compiled the evidence and came to a conclusion.

"I'm…alive?"

"You just realizing that?" A voice laughed. "Of course you're alive, kid! I couldn't let you die!" Kouji looked down and was surprised to see who it was.

"Aquilamon?!"

"Are you slow in the head or what? Yeah, it's me!"

"But I thought you were on Lucemon's side!"

"I am."

"Then why did you save me?"

"Silly boy," Aquilamon sighed, "you heard Baronmon's prophecy, did you not?"

"How do you know about that?!"

"Simple; Baronmon was on our side the whole time. The prophecy is legit, but he sent you here as all part of Lucemon's grand scheme. The plan was messed up slightly thanks to a certain digimon, but Lucemon will fix it once we get back."

"What are you saying?!"

"I'm saying that you're soon going to be one of us."

"Fat chance! I'd never join you!"

"Sorry, but you don't really have a choice in the matter. You already have the virus planted in you, now it only needs to be activated."

"Virus?! What virus?!"

"It's the virus Lord Lucemon put in you himself. It was a bit of a messy job, but he did it." Kouji's eyes widened as he remembered.

_Kouji was standing in the park waiting for Kouichi when he suddenly felt a presence appear behind him. He turned and his eyes widened in horror at what he saw.  
_

"_You!" Was all he managed to get out in his shocked state, for standing right there before him was someone he had never expected to see again - Lucemon.  
_

"_You act surprised. Did you really think I could be defeated so easily? Foolish human! Now hold still…" He reached out and grabbed onto Kouji's arm, jolting the boy back into alertness. Kouji scowled and tried to pull away, but Lucemon's grip held strong.  
_

"_Let go!" Kouji demanded.  
_

"_Stop squirming! It's no use! You humans are so weak and fragile, it's sickening! Just hold still so you don't mess this up!" After getting Kouji relatively still, his wings began to glow and he sent lasers shooting at the boy. Kouji screamed in pain as they sliced through his skin, not deep enough to be fatal but enough so that it would leave scars. The lasers made patterns across his right half that matched Lucemon's, but another symbol was engraved on his left shoulder; the symbol of Light.  
_

_Kouji fell unconscious before Lucemon had even quite finished, and once he was done he smirked at the human as blood began to pour from the wounds. He ran a hand lightly over Kouji's uninjured cheek, then strayed to touch the blood.  
_

"_How beautiful. That's one interesting thing about humans - they bleed." He heard footsteps rapidly approaching and dropped Kouji. "Perfect timing," He said, flying up out of sight into the trees. He watched as Kouichi came running over, enjoying the look of horror on the elder's face. _

"_Kouji!" Kouichi yelled, racing to his brother's side and began checking him over immediately. Lucemon watched the scene a moment longer before opening a portal back to the Digital World.  
_

"_I'll be seeing you again soon, my pet…"_

"I assume you remember now." Aquilamon said. "Well, those markings are for more than looks. With the completion of a little spell, you'll become enlightened and finally join the right side; ours. It'll hurt a little, you should know as you've already had a little taste of it, but it'll be such a relief once it's over. You'll wonder why you ever rejected us."

"So, that's what the pulsing was…. That spell! That was supposed to turn me against them, wasn't it?!"

"Bingo! There was a little hitch in the plan, but like I said, Lord Lucemon'll fix it no problem!" Kouji grit his teeth as he thought it over. He did have a taste of it, and he knew that he'd never be able to stand up to something so strong, especially if Lucemon himself was casting the spell. It seemed there was only one thing he could do….

"You can't turn me against them if I'm dead." He said before jumping off.

"For the love of Lucemon…" Aquilamon sighed, flying after him. "Enough with the dramatics, kid! You're coming with me and that's that!" He grabbed the back of Kouji's shirt with his beak and took off again, Kouji struggling all the while.

---------------------------------------------------

The rest of the group still sat up on the mountain recovering. No one had really said or done anything much, just sat there. Kouichi was the worst, having not moved or spoken at all, his eyes never even have left that spot. He could still see his brother's look of terror as he fell, hear his scream as he plummeted down….

Izumi bit her lip. She hated seeing that broken look on Kouichi's face, taking the place of his usually happy expression. It just wasn't…right. Of course she was sad Kouji was gone too, but if she felt like this, she couldn't imagine how Kouichi felt. They were twins, and had been closer together than she thought was possible for brothers to ever be, almost like lovers. They completed each other. Finally, she decided this had been going on for long enough and spoke up.

"Hey, Kouichi, you want to come over and sit with us?" Silence. "It might help to be with a group, you know, instead of holding it in by yourself…." Kouichi began to tremble, the calm finally dispersing.

"Help? Help? It's too late. Nothing can help now…I couldn't help him. Some big brother I turned out to be." His voice cracked at the end and tears began to form in his eyes.

"Kouichi, no, don't think like that!"

"But it's the truth! It's all my fault! I should've taken Kouji somewhere safe, or at least let him fight so he wouldn't of been so susceptible to SkullScorpiomon's tricks!" He was crying freely now, fists clenched and whole body trembling.

"Izumi's right, it's not your fault." Takuya said.

"Thank you." Izumi sighed.

"It's my fault." Takuya continued.

"Wait, what?!"

"I'm the one who let SkullScorpiomon get that close to him. Kouji always said I never think about what I'm doing enough, and again, he's right, again it cost him. Why do all my mistakes end up having to hurt someone else?!"

"That's enough from all of you!" Junpei said. "What do you think Kouji would say if he saw us sitting around moping like this, huh? I think he'd be telling us to stop wasting time and to go out there and stop Lucemon, don't you think?"

"Junpei's right!" Tomoki said. "And who knows, maybe Kouji's alive after all!"

"Tomoki, do you need your eyes checked?" Takuya asked.

"That height would be fatal even to a digimon." Bokomon added helpfully.

"No, it's just, he fell off a mountain before and lived, right? So I thought maybe it could happen again…" Tomoki said, his voice wavering.

"Then it wasn't so high and there was something soft to catch him. There was absolutely nothing but rock up this mountain!" Takuya said.

"Well excuse me for trying to be optimistic! At least I'm not moping!"

"This is getting ridiculous!" Izumi said. "Okay, boys, break it up! Arguing over this isn't going to stop Lucemon or bring Kouji back! And Junpei is right! Kouji wouldn't want us to act like this, especially when we have a job to do!" There was silence, the boys staring at each other, the fire in their eyes dying down. Takuya was the first to look away, putting his hand behind his head.

"Sorry, Tomoki. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that."

"I'm sorry too."

"You have nothing to apologize for. You're just trying to be positive."

"Okay then, if you guys are done, can we get going?" Junpei asked.

"Yeah. Come on, guys, we have a job to do!" Takuya, Junpei and Tomoki started down, but Izumi paused, seeing that Kouichi wasn't moving, then walked over and made him look at her.

"Come on." She said gently yet commandingly. "For Kouji." He stared at her a moment and nodded, following her down. Lucemon would pay for this.

---------------------------------------------------

"Let go of me already!" Kouji snarled, still struggling in Aquilamon's grasp. Finally, the birdlike digimon obeyed, dropping him onto the ground. Kouji turned to glare, but there wasn't much time for this as Aquilamon bowed his head and spoke.

"My Master, I've brought the Warrior of Light. I fear there's been a slight hitch in the plan, however. The spell was interrupted, so he is not yet under your control."

"Is that so?" Kouji turned at the sound of a familiar, deadly calm voice and indeed saw Lucemon floating there, one leg crossed over the other and hands clasped together.

"I'm afraid so, my Lord."

"Disappointing. I would've loved to see their reactions when they realized the Light Boy turned against them all because of them, especially the Dark one… Oh well. I suppose he's still feeling bad enough with 'dear brother' missing, perhaps even dead…"

"Bastard! Leave Kouichi out of this!" Kouji snarled.

"I knew that would get a rise out of you. It's really quite amazing, the depth of your brotherly affection…not to mention quite the interesting toy." He ignored Kouji's growling and uncrossed his legs and hands, floating closer until he was face to face with the human. He reached out a hand and lightly stroked Kouji's cheek. Kouji jerked away and pulled out his D-Tector.

"Don't touch me you creep!" He snapped. Lucemon only smirked.

"Feisty. Well, as much as I'd love to keep playing with you like this, I have more important matters that need to be dealt with. It's time to complete your awakening." He held out his hands and they began to glow. Kouji took a step back, getting a bad feeling from this, when the pulsing kicked in painfully, sending him to his knees with a cry of pain. He could feel his sense trying to leave, and for a moment, he saw his friends flash by in his mind and thought of them as enemies. The bit that was still him was horrified at this, and he began to fight, doubling his resolve to stay himself and got back his control.

Lucemon didn't let up either, however. The feeling coursed through Kouji's body and was mind-numbingly painful. He could feel himself weakening, physically and mentally, and though it quickly became obvious he wouldn't win, he fought in vain hard as he could up until he passed out. Lucemon looked down at him and sighed.

"Poor, mislead fool. Had you only surrendered your will right away, you wouldn't of had to feel such pain."

"Forgive me, my Lord, if this seems a bit out of place for a mere servant such as me to say, but, don't you think you're treating the pathetic human a little too nicely, especially after all he did to you?" Aquilamon asked.

"I will forgive him. After all, he was not aware of what is actually right then. And, mere human he may be now, he will soon be a powerful asset to my army, with this new, more efficient form of the Light Warrior I crafted. Now, I want you to take him away. Keep him in the dungeons until the spell completes, and I will come for his awakening as his true self."

"As you wish, my lord."


	3. Corruption Unfolds

And here's the next chapter. Thanks to my two reviewers. That's more than I expected. –gives you both cookies- The next chapter's probably going to be late in coming, since my laptop broke, I have no idea when I'm getting a new one, and my mom is usually hogging our other computer…maybe I really shouldn't have introduced her to World of Warcraft...ahem. But don't worry, I will continue, since I have virtually no life anyway. Well, read on!

Disclaimer: Again, I do not own Digimon Frontier.

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Lekismon stood looking out at the surrounding landscape from her position on the balcony, sulking, and not bothering to turn around when she heard the approaching footsteps. She knew it wasn't Lord Lucemon, who preferred to fly, and nobody else was really important, at least not to her.

"Lekismon." The familiar voice said, and she mentally sighed before acknowledging him, not really feeling like being bothering now.

"What do you want, Aquilamon?"

"I saw what you did." Panic flared up in her chest, but she refused to show any sign of it just yet, in case it was a bluff.

"What are you talking about?" She asked coolly.

"Don't play dumb. You sent SkullScorpiomon after him." Cursing under her breath, she dropped the façade and turned to glare at Aquilamon.

"And so what if I did?"

"You should be more careful about what you do. Lord Lucemon is our leader, and like something he wants done or not, we must obey. You're just lucky I was around to save him."

"But why do we need him in the first place? That human isn't worthy of all the attention and power Lucemon is giving him. Why can't we just kill him?"

"Because this is the safest way. If we did manage to kill him, then the Spirits of Light would likely just go to another one of his friends, and they would still have the power to become Susanoomon. But, with him on our side, they're lacking three sets of Spirits and are therefore lacking that ability. And anyway, having him on our side buffed with Lucemon's power, he will be a nice addition."

"I still don't like it," Lekismon sighed, "but I guess you've got a point…" Aquilamon nodded.

"Good. Now remember that before you do anything else so stupid." Aquilamon left, and Lekismon turned to look back out.

"I'll show him stupid…" She murmured discontentedly once he was out of earshot.

---------------------------------------------------

"Oh man, my head…" Takuya moaned.

"That could've gone better…" Tomoki said.

"And it could've gone a lot worse. We were lucky." Kouichi said.

"I guess, but still…" Junpei groaned, then glanced around frantically. "Hey, Izumi, you okay?"

"I'm fine. You cushioned my fall." She replied, climbing off his back and smiling. "How about you?"

"Everything's good but my back," He mumbled, pushing himself up.

"Are you calling me fat?!" She shrieked, looking ready to kill.

"Ah - no, no, that's not what I meant at all!" He stuttered, putting his hands up as if to shield himself. She huffed crossly and swept her gaze across the area, turning away from him. They had almost made it down without incident when the ledge they had been standing on happened to break, sending them all down into a pile of rocks and limbs on top of Takuya, who had just gotten to the ground and looked back up just in time to be hit in the face with a rather large rock. Takuya staggered to his feet, his face covered with one hand.

"Owww…I think I'm bleeding, am I bleeding?" He asked, turning to Junpei and pulling his hand back.

"You'll live." Junpei answered.

"You're sure? Ugh, it feels like it's broken! Stupid rock!" Takuya kicked the nearest rock hard, but it refused to budge, and he yelped in pain, hopping on one foot and falling into Junpei.

"Takuya, calm down!" Junpei said, helping Takuya get steady. "What do you expect to gain from kicking rocks, other than a broken toe?"

"Ohh, I don't know! This sucks!"

Kouichi was looking anxiously at the surrounding area when a small white hand pushing its way out from underneath a large rock caught his attention, and he hurried over to shove it off, revealing Bokomon and Neemon, the former of which immediately gasped for breath and the latter just lay there in a daze.

"Are you guys all right?" Kouichi asked.

"I think so." Bokomon replied. "It's about time someone thought to help us."

"Hey, Bokomon?" Neemon asked.

"What is it?"

"Is it bedtime?"

"Why are you asking that now?"

"Because I'm seeing stars!"

"I'm about to show you stars! Get up, you idiot!"

"Well, looks like everybody's accounted for now." Takuya said.

"So, what do we do now?" Tomoki asked.

"Uh…" Takuya, Junpei and Izumi all glanced at each other, frowning.

"…can we…take a look around?" Kouichi asked quietly. "I'd like to see…if…" He didn't need to finish the sentence, nor did he try.

"Of course, Kouichi," Izumi said softly. "It wouldn't be right to just walk away now." Kouichi nodded, and they began to scour the area surrounding the mountain.

---------------------------------------------------

The boy let out a light moan as his consciousness returned. He didn't really hurt aside from the light pounding in his head, but he felt strange. As his strength grew within him and spread back out into his limbs, he pushed himself up, a bit shaky at first, and opened his blood-red eyes, though he couldn't see much considering it was dark and his vision was partially obscured by bangs that were a light golden color.

He stayed in this half up position for a few minutes, letting his body pull itself together and his eyes adjust. As they did so and he was able to see more of his surroundings, he noticed that he was in a stone cell and frowned. Why was he here? What happened…?

He twisted around at the sound of a door opening, letting some light flood in. He listened for the sound of footsteps, his deep blue wolf ears twitching, but heard nothing and assumed that whoever opened the door wasn't coming. Just as he started to settle back, however, he was startled to see a six-winged angelic child fly in and stop in front of the bars of his prison. The child looked in and appraised him with sky blue eyes, and gave him a smile that somehow didn't seem as innocent as his appearance may at first lead someone to believe.

"Ah, it is good to see you're finally awake, Talismon. I hope it hasn't been too long. This cage must be most uncomfortable, but sadly, it is necessary for the time being." The child said with a voice that seemed a bit too old for him. Talismon narrowed his eyes.

"Who are you?" He demanded. "What's going on?"

"Hmm, I see you haven't been up long, if your memory hasn't yet returned. Oh well, it doesn't matter. Here, let me help you. We have much to discuss…."

---------------------------------------------------

"Kouji! Kouji, can you hear me?! Hello?!" Takuya called.

"That's weird." Junpei said, frowning. "There's no sign of him anywhere, dead or alive." Sure enough, they had scouted out the whole area, and didn't even catch a glimpse of the Warrior of Light.

"Maybe he landed on a ledge?" Tomoki suggested.

"Great idea!" Takuya said. "I'll go check it out. In the meantime, the rest of you go check out the KaratsukiNumemon village and see if they've seen him."

"Right." They agreed, Spirit Evolving into their flight forms, picking up those who didn't have one, and going off to complete their missions.

Kazemon, Beetlemon, Tomoki, Kouichi, Bokomon and Neemon soon arrived at their destination, circling around a minute before finding a good landing spot in the vertical village. All the nearby KaratsukiNumemon looked over to the group and their murmurs filled the air.

"Oh, it's the Legendary Warriors!"

"They've returned!"

"But what are they doing back here?"

"Welcome back to our village, great heroes!" The KaratsukiNumemon mayor greeted as he came into sight through the crowd. "To what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"I wish we could say this was a pleasantry," Kazemon sighed.

"We were checking something out on top of that mountain over there," Kouichi explained, pointing, "and Kouji was knocked off when we were attacked. Now, we have no idea where he is."

"We were kinda hoping that one of you guys have seen him." Tomoki finished. The mayor sighed.

"The lad really has a thing for falling off cliffs, doesn't he? I'm sorry, as far as I know, he's not around here…" He studied Kouichi for a moment. "You look a lot like him. And you would be..?"

"Kouichi Kimura, Kouji's twin brother." The elder twin explained.

"I see. Well, sorry we can't be of much help. I hope you find your brother soon and well. In the meantime, it's getting late, so I'll tell you what we can do for you; we can give you some food and shelter for the night."

"Thank you. That would be great." Izumi said.

"Oh boy!" Junpei said, perking up at the mention of food. "Do you have more of that weird cabbage-that's-not-really-cabbage stuff?"

"We sure do! Just come right this way, and don't worry! We're not going to tie you up or anything this time!"

"Good, that was scary!" Tomoki said, smiling at the joke of the memory. When they had first come to this village and the KaratsukiNumemon found they were Legendary Warriors, they got the wrong impression since the one terrorizing their village was the corrupt Legendary Warrior of Earth and had tried to use them all as a bribe by dangling them over the edge of the cliff and threatening to cut the rope. When Grumblemon showed up and tried to flatten them with his spiked hammer, the misunderstanding had been cleared up pretty quick, and Kouji tore himself free from his bonds to buy them time while the KaratsukiNumemon recovered and helped the rest get out.

The smile died slightly at the thought of Kouji. Where would they all have been without the Legendary Warrior of Light? Though he hadn't been the most agreeable one of the group, he was a very skilled fighter and a quick thinker, able to find and expose enemy weak points among other useful things.

Tomoki shook his head, clearing away the memories. Now wasn't the time to get sentimental. Kouji would be okay, he just knew it.

"Um…'cabbage that's not cabbage'?" Kouichi asked, raising an eyebrow at Junpei, who clapped him on the back cheerfully.

"Just wait till you try it, Kouichi! That stuff is good, as long as you don't get the one that tastes like asparagus… It might even help cheer you up a little! Food always does me!"

"…."

"Oh, by the way," Izumi said, "Takuya is still out there, so when you see a red armored dragon-like digimon with orange wings, don't worry, it's just him."

"Right then." The mayor said. He guided them into a room with beds and food waiting. "Here you are. You just relax and eat up. When your friend gets here, we'll bring him right over."

"Thank you!" Izumi said, and they all went over towards their supper. She picked up one of the 'cabbages', but instead of eating, looked over at the mayor, who was still lingering. "Is there something wrong?"

"Ah, I'm sorry, but I can't help but wonder what you all are doing here."

"We already told you," Junpei said through a mouthful of food. "We're looking for Kouji."

"No, I mean what you're doing back in this world. Once your purpose here was complete, you were sent right back, so now you must have another important task, am I right?"

"Well, yes, there is a bit of a situation…" Izumi said, her expression becoming slightly troubled.

"'Situation'…?" He prompted.

"Yeah, apparently Lucemon is stirring up some trouble again, but I wouldn't worry too much about it." Junpei said.

"'Don't worry'? You throw that name at us and then expect us not to worry?!"

"Yeah." Tomoki said. "We have no intention of letting it get as far out of hand as it did last time."

"Did you intend to let it go so far last time?"

"No, but… Now we have more of an idea on what we're doing."

"We really are going to work harder this time to keep anything serious from happening." Izumi said. "As the mayor of this town, it's your call, but I suggest keeping quiet about this unless something major happens to avoid any unnecessary panic." The mayor stared at her for a minute before heaving a sigh.

"Very well," he gave in reluctantly, "but remember, I'm counting on that. I'll leave you all alone now. You'll need the rest." Izumi thanked him one last time and then the group, minus Kouichi, dug into their meal.

Kouichi didn't really have much of an appetite, though he was hungry after the battle and trek down the mountain. He sat staring out the window, which was a bit unnerving in itself since it was placed where the floor to them was, his thoughts continuing to revolve around one thing; Kouji.

"Hey Kouichi, get away from there before you fall through and try some of this food!" Junpei called.

"Yeah, you need to try and relax a little." Izumi agreed. "You've been stressed out all day, and we don't even know for sure if he's dead yet."

"I know, it's just, he's my brother, and I can't help but be really worried about him…." Kouichi sighed.

"And he's our friend." Tomoki said. "We're worried too, but you can't let it get to you that badly, not yet, or you'll never make it through this. And no matter what happens, whether he turns up dead or alive, or not at all, you're going to have to eat and keep your strength up."

"That's right," Izumi agreed. "Kouji wouldn't want to see you not taking care of yourself because of him."

"Yes, besides, knowing Kouji, he's probably alive and well and worrying about us!" Bokomon added. "The boy does have a knack for getting out of these situations."

"Yeah, so just you relax! Here, chow down, buddy!" Junpei said, tossing Kouichi a cabbage. Kouichi fumbled, but managed to catch it, then frowned at it. "Don't worry, just dig in! You'll love it!"

"Alright…" Kouichi consented, and took a bite.

"Welllll?"

"It's not bad. It tastes like corn."

"I told you so!" They ate in peace for only a few more minutes when they heard someone approaching and moments later Takuya fell in, landing face first.

"Ow…You guys really need to make this place more accessible to those of us who can't cling to walls…"

"Sorry about that. We don't get many visitors." The mayor said. "Well, enjoy!" Kouichi looked around desperately for Kouji, but was disappointed to see his brother wasn't there.

"So, what did you find?" He asked, dreading the answer.

"Well, good news is, I didn't find a body, so it's possible he's alive," Takuya began. "Bad news is, that means we still have no idea where he is. And it doesn't really help anything, but I did find this," Takuya pulled an object out of his pocket and handed it to Kouichi, who took it.

"This is Kouji's bandanna!"

"So now we have his bandanna, but still no Kouji?" Junpei said, frowning.

"This is getting really weird," Tomoki commented.

"You're telling me!" Takuya said, shaking his head. "It's like Kouji's just disappeared off the face of the earth or something."

"So I guess that means that all we can really do is continue on with our mission and hope that Kouji turns up somewhere along the way." Izumi said.

"Yeah…." With that, Takuya came over and the others finished their dinner while Kouichi excused himself to go on to bed, which was only a bunch of leaves since the actual beds were on the side of the wall.

Despite being the first to go to bed and the fact that he was exhausted from climbing down the mountain, it was a long time before Kouichi could finally get to sleep. His mind was buzzing with questions, all concerning his brother, and as he lay there he clutched the blue and yellow bandanna close, as if he were holding on to a precious jewel.

"_However, if good does not tread carefully, there will be no hope, for the evil will become unstoppable when Light falls to darkness."  
_

"_That prophecy…when it mentions the light…I think it may mean me."_

Kouichi tightened his grip on the bandanna as these memories of the prophecy and Kouji's concerns ran through his mind.

_Could Kouji be…_ He started to think, then squeezed his eyes shut. _No! It can't…Kouji would never…could never…right…?  
_

---------------------------------------------------

The next morning they all took the leftovers from last night for breakfast and when outside to the ladders to begin the tedious task of climbing down from the village, first saying their thanks and goodbyes to the KaratsukiNumemon. Takuya had just started to lower himself onto the first ladder when he stopped and turned to the mayor.

"I almost forgot to ask! Have you guys heard or seen anything suspicious, like some shady digimon attacking or something?"

"Can't say we have." The mayor replied. "Your friends have already explained the situation to me, and I'm afraid that's all I know."

"Oh…well, thanks anyway."

"Though, it may be possible you can find something in the village below where we first recruited you, if that helps."

"Yeah, thanks. We'll check it out."

With that, they began their descent to the ground once and, hopefully, for all. Every so often, Kouichi would pause to run his hand over Kouji's bandanna, which he had tied around his neck, to make sure the knot held. The bandanna was the only physical thing he had of his brother, and he'd be damned if he let it slip away.

Finally, about an hour later, they had reached the bottom of the mountain and put a bit of distance between them, and the other town was in sight. They hurried to cover the last bit and entered the city. The streets were bustling with digimon of all sorts, and it was much like a normal city in the Human World, only without nearly as much technology and different inhabitants.

"Look at all of them!" Takuya said. "We're sure to find some clue here!"

"Yeah. We'd probably only have more luck in the Autumn Leaf Fair." Izumi agreed.

"But, just how are we supposed to find the information?" Tomoki asked.

"Just leave that to me, kid!" Junpei said, going to climb onto a crate then addressed the crowd. "Listen up, everyone! Me and my friends are Legendary Warriors, and we're here to save you all again, but first we need your cooperation! If you can just tell us anything about the possible whereabouts of Lucemon or his minions, then we'll be on our way! Thanks!"

There was a moment of silence as everyone stared up at Junpei, then a sudden uproar broke out as digimon ran around screaming.

"Lucemon! He's coming back!"

"We'll all doomed!"

"I knew peace was too good to be true!"

"There's just no way any of that is the truth!"

"And here we have another brilliant job from Mr. Subtle," Takuya groaned sarcastically.

"You idiot, get down from there!" Izumi yelled, shoving him off the crate.

"Ow! Izumi, what was that for?!" Junpei demanded.

"What do you think?! We're not here to panic everybody! You're not supposed to mention Lucemon!"

"Nobody ever told me that!"

"Ugh, you're hopeless!" She climbed atop the crate and faced the crowd. "I'm so sorry about that, everyone! Please try to remain calm! Nobody is in any immediate danger! Just calm down and-"

"Come on everyone, let's get that fraud!" An Elecmon yelled, and he and a large crowd of other digimon began to approach the group of humans.

"Ah, g-guys?" Tomoki stammered. "I think we should start running now…"

"It's not what you think!" Bokomon yelled. "These children really are the Legendary Warriors! If we can all just remain civil..!" The mob stepped closer, growling.

"I don't think this is working…" Kouichi said, taking a step back.

"Run for it!" Takuya yelled, taking off, forcing the rest of the group to follow as tensions erupted and the mob of digimon charged. They dashed along, taking a few turns to try and lose their pursuers.

"Quick, this way!" A dark figure said, waving them over. With their number one priority being to escape the mob behind them, they obeyed without question, diving into the door the digimon held open for them and waited, panting. But a moment later, it became noisy outside, and the group did their best to hold their breath as the mob arrived.

"Hey you, bird boy!" The Elecmon said. "Have you seen a group of humans go by here?"

"Yes, they went that way. You'd better hurry, they're fast for humans."

"Right! C'mon!" It grew quiet outside after a few moments, signaling that the digimon were gone. The door creaked open, and their savior stepped in, closing the door behind him.

"Hey, thanks for that." Takuya said.

"I'm only doing what any respectable digimon would do for the Legendary Warriors." The humanoid bird digimon said. He scanned over the group with his red eyes, lingering on Kouichi a moment before speaking again. "It's good to see you, too, were finally released from corruption, Kimura, and that you and Minamoto got off good with each other. He really needed you and the knowledge you brought, as I'm sure you know since you, too, looked into his memories and saw his pain. He looks happier now...it's just a shame he can't be here."

"Wh-what are you talking about?" Kouichi asked, taking a step back. "How do you…?"

"Yes, forgive me. My name is Karatenmon. I met your brother once, though it wasn't under the best of circumstances. As for the rest of that information, I have several arcane abilities, including being able to read the minds of others."

"You read my mind?!"

"I apologize for the intrusion, but you looked much like Minamoto. I had to see."

"Alright, but next time just ask…"

"Very well."

"So, you can read minds?" Tomoki asked.

"That's right." Karatenmon confirmed.

"That's so cool! What color am I thinking of?"

"The arcane arts are not for games." Tomoki looked down in disappointment, and Karatenmon sighed and gave a small smile. "But, just this once. It was green." Tomoki grinned.

"That's right!"

"No fair, how come only Tomoki gets to play?" Junpei complained.

"Junpei, you're the oldest here. Try acting it for once." Izumi growled.

"Anyhow, on to business." Karatenmon said. "You said something about Lucemon earlier, correct?"

"That's right!" Takuya said, nodding. "Do you know anything?"

"Nothing directly corresponding to Lucemon, but I think I can at least give you a clue. There's some trouble brewing on the horizon. Yesterday, while I was out practicing, I noticed some suspicious digimon run past. I pursued them, but they gave me the slip, and I only got a few fragmented thoughts. All I could make out was something about a new master, and the 'day of reckoning'."

"Yeah, that has to be Lucemon alright." Junpei said.

"Who else has all these crackpot theories about establishing a new world order?" Takuya agreed.

"Do you know where they were going?" Kouichi asked.

"I believe they were headed for a nearby town, a place you've been before. It's a village of prophets and saints."

"Prophets and saints?" Takuya asked.

"Hey, isn't that where Shamanmon and all those phony fortune tellers are?" Tomoki asked.

"Yes, that's right!" Bokomon said. "Hmm, this is most disturbing news. An attack on one of the most sacred villages in the Digital World…"

"How do you know it's an attack?" Junpei asked.

"Well, what else would Lucemon want but data and complete world domination?"

"In that case, we'd better hurry and stop it!" Takuya said, hurrying out the door with the rest of the group right behind. As soon as they stepped out, however, they were spotted by a certain Elecmon.

"Hey! There's the humans! Get them!" He yelled.

"Aw, crap," Takuya said. "I forgot about them…"

"Here we go again," Tomoki sighed, and with that, they all had to start running.

---------------------------------------------------

"My lord, how was that? Was it satisfactory?"

"Yes. You're a quick study, and have some natural talents. I believe you'll be a better vassal than those unfaithful Royal louts Dynasmon and Crusadermon ever were."

"Thank you, my lord! I will strive to be worthy of your praise!"

"Keep this up and do no falter in your faith, and one day soon we shall save all these misguided fools from themselves and rule this world together!" Lucemon suddenly swayed slightly to one side and quickly steadied himself, alarming Talismon.

"My lord, are you all right?"

"I'm just still a little…faint, from our last encounter when you and your friends were under the impression that I was evil and all the recent expenditures I've had to do. I'll be fine as soon as you bring me some data."

"Does that mean…?"

"Yes. Your training is complete. Now go, Talismon! Our kingdom awaits!"

"Yes, my lord!"

---------------------------------------------------

"Whew! We've lost them!" Takuya sighed, slumping against a tree to catch his breath.

"It's about time! Those guys are persistent!" Izumi said.

"Yeah." Tomoki agreed.

"Aw, come on guys!" Junpei said. "Yeah, all that running was exhausting, but it wasn't that bad, was it?"

"Junpei, save it." Izumi growled. "You're the one who got us into that mess in the first place!"

"Well, yeah, but cut me some slack! I didn't know _that _would happen!"

"Next time, just let us do the talking!"

"Okay guys, save the arguing for later." Takuya said. "We need to get on track before it's too late. Now, where are we…?"

"We're somewhere near the shaman village, if I'm not mistaken." Bokomon answered.

"Goody!" Neemon said. "I want to get my fortune told!"

"Neemon, remember what we're going there for!" Bokomon snapped. "Although, it may be a good idea to consult with Shamanmon if possible."

"But I want to talk to Sepikmon!"

"No! You're already a big enough idiot! We don't need any brain cells you may still have getting killed!"

"Aw…"

"Which way do we go from here, anyway?" Kouichi asked. Suddenly, a terrified scream rang out, and they all turned their heads in that direction.

"I think we know." Takuya said, a scowl on his face. They ran towards the noise, and as they got closer, they felt steadily strengthening tremors. Soon, they ran into a fleeing Pumpkinmon, who, while glancing over his shoulder, tripped over an exposed tree root and went sprawling to the ground.

"Hey, are you all right?" Izumi asked, coming over. He jerked his head up to look at her, his whole expression panicked.

"No, not good, not all right! It's horrible - the whole town, under attack! Digimon, destroyed!" He spoke swiftly, too upset to make whole sentences.

"Attack? By who?" Tomoki asked.

"It doesn't matter! We'll find out soon enough!" Takuya said, taking out his D-Tector and giving the others a look, silently communicating his message. They all nodded and took theirs out as well.

"Execute, Spirit Evolution!" All but Takuya spoke in unison as they swiped their hands, surrounded by a single ring of data, across the devices.

"Beetlemon!"

"Kazemon!"

"Kumamon!"

"Loewemon!"

"Execute, Fusion Evolution! Aldamon!" Takuya said afterwards, and the Pumpkinmon stared at them all.

"The Legendary Warriors!" He murmured, watching a moment as they raced off then scrambled after them. Soon, they arrived to find the town in disarray, a couple stragglers racing by to get away from a group of smirking Gazimon. There were a few others there who were fighting, in vain, it seemed, against the invaders.

"Whoa! Looks like Lucemon's gathered some army," Beetlemon said.

"Yeah. Wonder if he or this 'new master' is here." Kumamon wondered.

"Lucemon's not," Pumpkinmon said, panting as he caught up, "but it seems to be some sort of celebration."

"You call this a celebration?" Kazemon asked.

"You're here!" Another voice said, and a white ferret-like creature with purple markings and its body wrapped around a cartridge flew over.

"Kudamon, look! I found them in the forest!" Pumpkinmon said. "Shamanmon's prediction has come true!"

"Yes." Kudamon looked to the Warriors. "O Chosen of the Ancient Heroes and Saviors of the Digital World, you must help us. Lucemon the Fallen One has amassed an army against us, and I fear the worst for our world."

"Don't worry, that's why we're here." Aldamon reassured him.

"We'll have this mess cleaned up in no time!" Beetlemon agreed. Kudamon looked at them, seeming upset for some reason.

"There's just one detail that may prove to be a problem…"

"What's that?" Loewemon asked, feeling chilled by the way the digimon seemed to focus his gaze on him as he said that.

"It's…" Kudamon started, but he was interrupted when a Mammothmon crashed through a nearby building and faced them. The Legendary Warriors slipped into battle-ready positions, standing protectively in front of the other two digimon with them.

"What do you think you're doing?" Aldamon demanded.

"Don't you know this is a sacred city?!" Kazemon chimed in.

"I am simply carrying out the wish of my lords!" The Mammothmon replied. "It's because of that fact that this city is the first that had to be dealt with. This land is corrupt and doomed to fall! Only through Lord Lucemon and his disciple will we be able to attain salvation!"

"Disciple? Is that this 'new master' we heard about?" Kumamon asked.

"Yes, and under their rule, everything will be perfect!"

"Uh-huh. And just where can we find this 'master'?" Loewemon asked.

"He is busy taking this town from Shamanmon, and is not to be disturbed. We will be handling the pests like you." With that, Mammothmon charged at them with his deadly sharp tusks. The group scrambled out of the way and then began the fight after making sure the other two digimon got away safely. At this, several other digimon, having finished off their own opponents, joined in the battle as well. Both sides, one with numbers and the other with power, were holding out relatively well, and the battle would have gone on much longer if there hadn't been another interruption, though this one was decidedly less chaotic than the previous.

"Enough." The steady voice rang out over the battlefield, and everyone from both sides turned to look at the source. There, standing with a calm, confident stature atop the roof of a nearby building that was still intact, was a blonde man that could have passed for human if it hadn't been for the red eyes and blue wolf ears and tail. Across his body were several familiar looking blue markings, partially obscured by the couple belts that were strapped across his chest, but the long, fingerless gloves, one cloth, one metal, cut off just in time on each side to avoid doing so where the marks went on to his arms. He also wore blue jeans, the left side cut off just below the knee revealing the tall, armored boot, and the right side partially covered by the long, feathery, wing-shaped material that swayed lightly in the wind from his belt.

"Hail Lord Talismon!" Several digimon called out, and all the enemy digimon knelt before him.

"'Lord', huh? So you must be that disciple." Beetlemon said.

"That's right." Talismon said. "I'm very fortunate to have been chosen to have such a high position by Lord Lucemon. You have no idea how wonderful it is. It's even better than the fool Cherubimon's power." Talismon turned his gaze to Loewemon with a knowing expression, and the Warrior of Darkness narrowed his eyes in response.

"Then I feel sorry for you." Loewemon said. "Power is nothing if it is gained or used with evil intentions."

"Evil? Tsk, tsk. You don't understand at all."

"I apparently understand more than you do."

"What have you done to Shamanmon?" Kazemon demanded, stepping in.

"That old fool wouldn't see things my way any more than you all are." Talismon replied in a voice that mocked sadness. "I had no choice but to destroy him."

"Bastard!" Aldamon snarled. "This ends now, before anyone else can get hurt! Atomic Inferno!"

"Shadow Meteor!" Loewemon growled.

"Lightning Blitz!" Beetlemon yelled.

"Hurricane Wave!" Kazemon called.

"Crystal Freeze!" Kumamon breathed. All their attacks flew towards Talismon, but the digimon didn't even attempt to move, instead just watch calmly as their attacks approached with a light smirk playing onto his lips.

"Divine Protection." He said, and was surrounded by a light that, when they reached it, made all their attacks glance away. Once that was over with, he released the bright shield and could be seen standing unharmed.

"Why is it that every time a new enemy appears, something like this happens?!" Bokomon demanded, freaking out slightly.

"That's just not fair!" Beetlemon protested.

"In battle such as this, all is fair. Besides, you outnumber me, do you not?"

"Are you kidding me?!" The Warrior of Thunder gestured around to all the other digimon surrounding them.

"But they are not participating in the battle. Either way, it was never my intention to fight you, though I suppose I should have expected something like this with the way you are always running into things before you even fully understand the situation, Takuya. But as for you, Kouichi, I'm appalled. Didn't you tell me not long ago that you would die before bringing any harm to me?" The group stared at him for a moment, confused, when suddenly Loewemon's eyes lit up with terrified recognition.

"You-you don't mean you're…?!" Loewemon started. Talismon nodded.

"That's right, brother. I'm disappointed. It took you that long to recognize me? Look, I even have the Symbol of Light on me!" He turned and gestured to the small symbol on his right upper arm.

"Kouji…what has Lucemon done to you?!"

"The best thing that's ever happened to me. But come now, Kouichi, I thought you'd be happier to see me again after all that. Or, have you stopped caring for your little brother?" Loewemon just shook his head, trembling slightly, and averted his eyes.

"Alright, Kouji, if that's even who you really are," Aldamon said, with eyes narrowed in both concern and skepticism, "you know that this is crazy. We're your friends, and Lucemon is some demonic, power-hungry psycho."

"I know you are my friends, and I know what you think of him, but you have the wrong impression. We've been fighting on the wrong side this whole time." Talismon said.

"What do you mean?!" Kazemon demanded. "Don't you remember how Lucemon destroyed the entire Digital World for his own self gain?!"

"Yes, that wasn't good. But Lucemon always had good intentions, and he realizes now that that was the incorrect way to go about this. He's not at all how we once believed. He does care, and all he wants is for peace to come to this world. And, in the spirit of this generous new approach, I would like extend a hand and invite you, my friends, to our movement. We will be able to rule together under him, and bring about and enjoy an era of peace and prosperity."

"You're out of your mind if you think that we're going to agree to that!" Aldamon yelled. The others nodded with firm conviction, aside from Loewemon, who was still looking down in a slight, troubled daze. Talismon looked them all over and nodded.

"That's fine then. You're all still in shock. No worries, I expected as much. We'll part ways for now, and I want you all to think what I said through. We'll meet again soon, of that I've no doubt, and you can give me your final answers then." He turned to leave, and threw them one last look over his shoulder. "I look forward to working with you all again." With that, he signaled to the rest of the assembled digimon, and they were all off.

---------------------------------------------------

And there you have it! Kouji has officially changed sides, as we all already saw coming… I'm not too fond of made up characters being in fanfics, but the situation called for it since there is no corrupt Warrior of Light. Thanks again, and Happy Easter to all!


	4. The Temples of the Elements

Hn, it seems that I'm taking longer to get stuff up and getting less put together with each chapter… I'll have to work on that. Sorry. Well, anyway, thanks for the reviews, and I hope you find this chapter worth the wait. Oh, and by the way, if I mess up on any of the details that may have been mentioned somewhere in the anime, sorry. They didn't make it easy on the fans when it comes to details about the locations…as far as I know…

And I'm glad you liked Talismon. I wasn't too sure about how well a made up would work out. Anyway, enough of my babbling and on to the fic!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and, halfway, Talismon! Wow, these things are annoying…

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Talismon walked through the palace at an unhurried pace to give his report to Lord Lucemon. He hadn't done precisely as the angelic digimon had asked, but even so he was only faintly worried about it. He was confident that his lord would understand, even though it may give him the appearance of being somewhat incompetent. It left a small thorn in his own side abandoning even such a small part of the mission, and he would never have done it if he hadn't felt it to be so important.

Finally, he reached Lucemon's room and knocked on the large, intricately carved, granite door before calling out.

"It's Talismon. I have returned, my lord."

"Come in." Talismon obeyed and shut the door behind him before kneeling before the waiting six-winged digimon. Lucemon waited as he did so and looked him over before proceeding. "So, I trust it went well?"

"Yes. I've brought some data for you." Talismon stood and allowed a stream of bluish data to flow out of him and into Lucemon. He stayed like this for a couple seconds, transferring all of the meager amount he had gathered, then cut it off before kneeling once more. Lucemon narrowed his eyes slightly.

"This is less than I would have expected from a mission such as this. Is there something you're trying to keep from me?"

"No, my lord. I apologize, I know that this is an insufficient amount, but I can explain. You see, I ran into _them_ during the attack. They had caught wind of it and came to end it."

"Don't tell me my own apprentice couldn't stop them."

"They did not. I spoke with them, explaining your true intentions, and offered them a chance to join us. I left then to avoid any further unnecessary conflict with them. They are thinking it over as we speak."

"They won't accept it, you know."

"Probably not, but I had to try. I know how draining it is on your strength to enlighten others to our cause, especially when they resist you."

"…very well. But remember that if they reject your offer, you must be prepared to fight them with all you've got, even your brother. Anything less will be considered treason."

"Of course. My loyalty shall always lie with you."

"And Talismon?"

"What, my lord?"

"Do not try anything else like this again without my permission. Is that clear?"

"Understood."

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"Can you believe the nerve of that guy, coming in and acting all superior then just running away?

It drives me nuts when enemies do that!" Takuya complained loudly.

"It's no surprise he's connected with Lucemon," Junpei chimed in. "He just thinks he can do whatever he wants!"

"Aren't you guys worried about this?" Izumi asked. "I mean, Talismon did say he was Kouji…"

"That was just a bluff." Takuya said.

"Yeah. I can't see Mr. Tough Guy letting himself become someone's lapdog, not in a million years!" Junpei agreed. Though they tried to appear confident about that, it was obvious that they were trying to convince themselves as well as Izumi.

"What do you think of the symbol, then?" Bokomon asked. "There's no doubt that that was the Symbol of Light."

"Yeah, but Lucemon probably just put that there himself to try and trick us. I could draw the Symbol of Light on you, but that wouldn't make you the Legendary Warrior of Light." Takuya looked over and nudged Kouichi, who still hadn't spoken or done much of anything since the incident. "Hey Kouichi, look alive over there! You know I'm right, don't you, buddy?"

"No…" Kouichi murmured. "That was defiantly Kouji."

"Huh? How do you know?"

"Our bond is strong… I could feel him. Under the surface, where the true him is being concealed by Lucemon's spell, he's in pain, just like I was." Kouichi began to quiver slightly, turning his gaze down. "And it's all my fault… I failed him."

"We've already been over this, Kouichi! It's not your fault!" Izumi said, gazing at him sternly. He looked up and returned her stare.

"Yes, it is! Remember when you asked me if there was something wrong with Kouji, and I refused to talk? Well, I see now, too late, that I should have spoken. Maybe then, we could've been more prepared, more careful to prevent this from happening…maybe, just maybe, he could still be here with us, on our side!"

"Hang on a minute, Kouichi, you'd better back up." Junpei said. "What is it that you didn't tell us?"

"Ever since that attack back in our world, Kouji began to have these weird feelings. He began to get suspicions, and it turns out they were correct… Do you remember Baronmon's prophecy?"

"Yeah. It was something about not having any problems unless light falls to darkness." Tomoki answered.

"Wait, you don't mean…?" Izumi started, eyes widening. Kouichi nodded.

"The light in the prophecy was referring to him."

"Of course!" Bokomon exclaimed. "The bearer of the Spirits of Light has fallen to the darkness, the corruption of Lucemon!"

"So in other words, the prophecy has come to pass, and not in our favor." Junpei concluded, frowning.

"Argh! This sucks!" Takuya growled. "Why can't that coward Lucemon just come out and face us himself instead of turning everything upside-down from a distance?!"

"So now you know what problem I was talking about." They all turned towards the voice to find Kudamon. "Without your friend, you won't be able to rely on the same power you used before."

"That won't be a problem for long," Junpei said. "We'll just go find him and knock the sense back into his head!"

"But can we really do that?" Tomoki asked. "Talismon is backed with Lucemon's powers, so can we really handle him, and not to mention his followers?"

"Tomoki has a point," Izumi said. "And what if we run into Lucemon himself before then? It would be suicide to go against him without all of us."

"Well, we have to do something!" Junpei insisted. "We can't just hide until they come get us!"

"No, you can't just hide," Kudamon said, "but your chances in battle aren't that great at the moment either."

"So then just what do _you _suggest we do?"

"Isn't it obvious? You must get stronger."

"Stronger? But how?" Izumi asked.

"You must unlock the full potential of your spirits, the Fusion form."

"But I already have Fusion form!" Takuya protested, perplexed. "It didn't do anything to Lucemon! It hardly even affected Cherubimon!" Kudamon shook his head.

"Yes, but what Seraphimon gave you holds only a fraction of the Fusion form's true power. To reach their full potential, you must unlock it yourselves."

"And how do we do that?"

"There's where we have our problem. You see, long ago, after the great battle between Lucemon and the Ancient Warriors, shrines were erected across the Digital World to honor the ten. It is to these shrines you must go to become truly in tune with your elements. But, unfortunately, as time went on, digimon began to forget and neglect the shrines. Few, if any, alive today know of their precise locations."

"Great, so we're going on another wild goose chase?" Junpei sighed.

"There is one thing I can tell you. The shrines were placed at the points where their particular elements are the strongest. All I can say is to look in places where a certain element overshadows all else."

"What are we supposed to do when we do find the shrines?" Tomoki asked.

"I'm sorry, but I've already told you all I know of it. With luck, it will all become clear to you when you get there."

"It'd better. I'm getting tired of all these twists that just don't make sense." Junpei sighed.

"Well, at least we've got something now…" Takuya said. "That's a start."

"I can't wait to see what my Fusion form is like!" Tomoki said, beaming with excitement, the first positive emotion in the group for a while now. Izumi nodded, perking up a bit as well.

"Yeah. It wasn't fair that only Takuya and Kouji got to get all those cool forms." She said. "We should be going as soon as possible. It sounds like we have a lot of ground to cover."

"Yes." Kouichi agreed, then looked to Kudamon. "Thank you for that information; it's very useful. But, what of you and the survivors?" Kudamon smiled grimly at him.

"There's not that much a digimon like myself can do, but I'll do my best to help your cause and help the others. There's no reason for you to worry about it, though. Just concentrate on saving your brother and stopping Lucemon once and for all." Kouichi nodded and forced a small smile in return. Of course, he was still torn up about the situation, but it was reassuring to know that they had a chance and that soon, Kouji could be back on the right side. He just had to concentrate on that thought, not let himself be pulled under…

"Well, I'd best be off, then." Kudamon continued. "Best of luck to you all."

"We're all on your side to back you up!" Pumpkinmon, who had been standing nearby listening, said. "Don't you forget that!" They all exchanged brief goodbyes, and the two digimon disappeared into the trees.

"Now we just need to figure out where we're going." Junpei said.

"Yeah…let's see, places where a certain element is strongest… I wonder what that means for us?" Izumi pondered, looking to Junpei.

"That's a tough one. There's wind all over the place, and lightning usually comes and goes with storms."

"Mine's got to be someplace hot, like a volcano or something." Takuya said. "And I'll bet Kouichi's is in the Dark Continent."

"And mine is probably in the icy north land." Tomoki added.

"Probably. Well, I guess we should start with either Tomoki or Kouichi since we have better ideas about their locations, and maybe we'll come across something along the way that'll bring us to one of the other three." The others exchanged brief glances then nodded.

"It makes sense," Junpei consented, though it was obvious he was itching to run off in search of his own.

"Well then, with that decided, it's off to the land of ice for us!" Bokomon exclaimed, starting towards the north.

"Mine first? Are you sure?" Tomoki asked.

"It's the closest, isn't it?"

"Oh yeah. Well, let's get going!" Tomoki cheered, taking off in a sudden burst of enthusiasm.

"Hey, Tomoki, wait up!" Takuya called, chasing after him, the others quickly following suit.

"Yeah, Tomoki!" Junpei agreed. "I'm too old for this!"

"Junpei, you're fifteen," Izumi reminded him.

"Yeah, exactly! That's older than any of you guys!" She just sighed and passed him. "You don't have to take it so seriously, you know…I'm just kidding…" He grumbled before pressing on in a failing attempt to keep up.

Finally, Tomoki calmed down enough to start going at a walking pace, though it was still evident that he was eager to get his Fusion form.

"What do you think it'll look like?" He asked.

"Well, given Kumamon and Korikakumon, I'll bet it'll probably be some kind of vicious polar bear," Takuya suggested.

"Or maybe it'll be some kind of creature made of snow," Izumi threw in. Tomoki nodded thoughtfully.

"Well, whatever it is, I hope it's as cool as Aldamon!" Tomoki said, smiling at Takuya, who returned a cocky grin.

"I'm sure it'll be pretty cool, but cool as Aldamon? I don't think that's possible." They continued on for a while, discussing each other's Fusion forms, when Izumi looked over at Kouichi, who had remained silent the whole time.

"Hey Kouichi, aren't you curious about your Fusion form, too?"

"Huh?" Kouichi looked up at her and stared a moment before nodding, faint understanding on his face. "Ah, right…"

"…you don't have any idea what I just said, do you?"

"No," He admitted with a sigh. "I'm sorry." Her eyes softened.

"It's okay. I understand how you can be so preoccupied right now. We're all concerned about Kouji, too, but it's not really going to do us any good to linger on it for too long, you know?"

"Not linger? How can I _not _linger, when I have an idea about what he's going through? I was only controlled through amnesia mixed with a bit of Cherubimon's dark influence. But Kouji…he remembers, he knows. I can't imagine what Lucemon could have done to him to make him become lost so completely…"

"I don't think he's as lost as you think. He did show us some mercy today, when he refused to attack us."

"Maybe," He allowed. "But maybe he was under orders or something…"

"Are you _trying_ to make this seem worse?" She asked, getting a bit exasperated. Kouichi flinched.

"No, of course not! I don't think I could stand it if it got much worse! It's just, I don't think it's possible for me to be positive while he's being forced through something like this because I couldn't protect him better! I'm the older brother, not by much, true, but still, older brothers are supposed to be the ones taking care of their younger siblings, but instead, he's always the one having to save me! I finally get a chance to make it up to him, and I mess up! Why couldn't Lucemon just have been after me?! I'm sure Kouji wouldn't have messed up so badly if our roles were reversed!"

"Calm down, Kouichi! If you really want to let it get to you, fine, but just please remember that you're not alone in this! We all could have been a little more careful, but we weren't, so now we just have to keep moving forward and trying our best for his and the whole of the Digital World's sake." Then, seeing his expression, she added in a softer tone, "Okay? I realize this is probably hardest on you, since you two are close and all, but I'm just trying to help."

"I know," He sighed, giving a slight nod of his head, "and I'm sorry for being a burden. But don't worry, no matter what it may seem like, I know what needs to be done. It may not be easy, but I'll do whatever it takes to get him back." Izumi nodded to him, and they all moved on in silence a few minutes before Junpei decided to break it.

"Why do you think Lucemon and the prophecy singled out Kouji, anyway? Surely there'd be similar effects if any one of us were severed from the group."

"That's a good question," Takuya said. "But I'm afraid I can't answer that any better than I can answer why we of all people were chosen to have the Spirits in the first place."

"I think I might have an idea," Tomoki said. "The key to things like Ancient Spirit Evolution seem to revolve around both Light and Darkness, right? And Kouji also had the ability to use Unified Spirit Evolution, so maybe it had something to do with that. You know, eliminate the greatest threat."

"That's true, but they also could have taken Kouichi instead. Without Darkness, Kouji wouldn't be able to use the Unified Evolution anyway." Bokomon reminded him.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that," Tomoki said, frowning. "Well, as far as I can tell then, it was just a random pick between them."

"Oh well. What's done is done, I guess." Junpei sighed, and they all continued their trek to the icy lands.

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Talismon stood staring at his reflection in the smooth obsidian wall, contemplating. Yes, he loved this new appearance that Lucemon had blessed him with along with the mindset, but what of his old human form? They never spoke of it, and really, why should they, when that form was so weak and so like his old, naïve self? But still, he couldn't shake the feeling that it could be somehow useful.

He took a deep breath and, making up his mind, released his current form. A cocoon of data encircled him, and he closed his eyes and let the light tingling sensation come over him as his body shifted. As soon as it was over, he opened them again and looked at his reflection, this time seeing an almost perfect copy of his old self.

Almost, because upon further inspection he found that his features were a bit sharper and his ears slightly pointed, giving him a sort of elflike appearance. He frowned at this, lifting a hand to touch his ear. That could be a problem. He then looked to his ponytail and, getting an idea, took it down and shook his head, poofing his hair out a bit and in turn effectively hiding his ears. He took another moment to look himself over, making sure there was nothing else too noticeable. Nothing else really stood out, as to notice the sharpness in the rest of his features someone would have to really study his face. His guise now intact, a satisfied smirk touched his lips.

It didn't remain there long, however, as a sudden jerk from within himself caused him to flinch and his face contorted with the effort of holding himself together. He knew what it was – he had felt it before – but never had it been so strong. He struggled for a moment, then, once he had his bearings together better, he exerted an effort against the remnant of his old mindset, pushing it back and momentarily immobilizing it. He then took that opportunity to quickly revert back to Talismon, and as soon as he did so, he felt the pressure lighten significantly.

The attacking force once again at bay, he took a moment to recover, his breath coming in gasps. He would have to be careful if he ever used that form again, as it seemed he was more vulnerable to the small amount of resistance within him while assuming it. He snapped out of his reverie at the sound of approaching footsteps and promptly straightened himself out and turned to face the oncoming digimon. It wouldn't do, after all, to let others see him, the apprentice of Lucemon himself, fall to pieces over a little lapse in self control. He watched as a Monodramon came into sight and stopped to kneel at a respectful distance.

"Lord Talismon, I have a status report and orders from Lord Lucemon." The digimon said.

"Go on." The Monodramon lifted his head to speak.

"The recently issued siege isn't going well, and Lord Lucemon wishes you to participate ASAP."

"Understood," Talismon said, and turned to leave, but Monodramon resumed talking, halting him.

"Also, it has come to our attention that the other Legendary Warriors are moving north, but their objectives are still unknown." Talismon nodded thoughtfully.

"Are they now? Well then, I might just have to go pay them a little visit later. Is that all?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Then you are dismissed." The Monodramon nodded and left obediently while Talismon himself headed out onto the balcony and withdrew a small flute carved from bone and played a shrill, chilling note on it that resembled the cry of a dying animal. Moments later, a Saberdramon, a dark digimon resembling a Birdramon, came flying up in response, the bluish green flames on its body glowing ominously. Talismon hopped on as it flew by, barking a quick command, and the two flew off, unaware that a figure had seen the whole thing from the cover of the shadows.

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"Why does it always have to be so cold here?" Izumi complained, her arms wrapped tightly around herself for warmth. They had just arrived at the land of ice and were already feeling the effects of the chill. Even Kouichi, the only one in the group with sleeves that completely covered his arms, was shivering as the snow blew around them.

"Really!" Junpei agreed. "I'm filing a complaint if we get out of here without becoming popsicles! Where are we supposed to even start looking, anyway? Any ideas, Tomoki?"

"How should I know?" Tomoki asked.

"I don't know, you're the Warrior of Ice, so I just thought you might pick it up or something."

"Sorry, but I don't have any more of an idea than I did before."

"Well, be sure to speak up if you do happen to pick anything up." Izumi said. "I'm sure none of us wants to stay here for long and get hypothermia or something." Tomoki nodded, and they proceeded to walk. For a while, there was nothing in sight but a white expanse of land and the sound of snow crunching beneath their feet. And, while this didn't really change, they began to notice that the snow was picking up with increasing speed, hindering their visibility. Within moments, what had been a small flurry evolved into a full-blown snowstorm.

"Hey guys, I think we'd probably better stop and wait this storm out," Takuya said when it became impossible to see more than a foot in front of them, yelling to be heard over the howling wind. "We're never going to find the temple in this weather." His only reply was the wind's whistle. He stopped and turned around, struggling to see through the snow. "Guys? Hey, where are you? Izumi? Tomoki? Kouichi? Junpei? Bokomon? Neemon?!" He began to race around blindly in the storm best he could in the knee-deep snow as he continued to shout, arms outstretched frantically searching for any type of solid contact, preferably one of his friends. His words were sucked up in the wind, and in the end he failed to find anything and finally stopped to catch his breath and rub his arms in an attempt to bring some warmth back into the numb limbs.

"This is just great," He grumbled, shaking violently with cold and feeling pain with every icy breath he took. He was lost in the middle of a snowy wasteland, not wearing anything even resembling winter clothes, his friends were who knows where and he had no way of contacting them…

Unless… He took out his D-Tector and stared at the odd device. Well, it worked once before, so why not try it again? It was only a matter of finding the right combination… With that, he set to work pressing buttons and shouting for someone to pick up.

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Kouichi stumbled aimlessly through the snow, having given up on direction long ago. He could have been going in circles for all he knew, there being no distinguishable change in his surroundings and no way to retrace his steps as each mark he left was covered up by another blanket of snow within moments. All he could do was hope that he would happen upon the others before it was too late.

He had given up on shouting as well, as it used up energy he needed and yielded no results. He now kept his mouth closed tight to prevent his teeth from chattering and to keep his tongue, as well as his throbbing throat and lungs, from freezing completely. In fact, his only thought, his only action, was to keep moving, not let himself stop and succumb to the exhaustion that was coming over him. He kept his arms wrapped around himself for warmth, trying to keep the numbness at bay, but this action also gave him less balance and as time went on, he found himself tripping.

After about the tenth time, he found he didn't have enough energy to pick himself up again, and didn't even try to muster it. Despite his efforts, Kouichi had become so numb in his limbs that he couldn't even feel them anymore, and he was tired, having walked for who knows how long and having the cold sap away what was left of his strength. He remembered the warnings, that it wasn't good to rest in conditions like these, but certainly forcing himself to keep going like this was just as bad? And really, what could happen if he just closed his eyes for a few seconds, or minutes even..?

"Kouichi?" He heard the voice call to him just as he let his eyes flutter shut. What did this person want? Oh well, he'd deal with it later. For now, maybe they would stop bothering him if he just ignored it. "Kouichi, can you hear me? Kouichi?" Kouichi scowled in annoyance as the cries grew more frantic. Why did this stranger insist on disturbing him? "Hey, Kouichi, is everything okay? Please, say something!" Wait…he recognized that voice… "Kouichi?!" He finally found it in him to push himself off the ground, knocking off the layer of snow that had piled up on top of him, and looked around for the source of the voice but found no one. He frowned in confusion, but then with the next shout noticed that it was coming from his pocket. He reached inside and pulled out his D-Tector, and upon seeing the symbol on the tiny screen it finally clicked and he remembered what the others said about being able to use them for communication.

"Takuya?"

"Kouichi, thank goodness!" Takuya said, his voice flooding with relief, but immediately a touch of concern reentered it. "Are you okay? Why didn't you pick up sooner?"

"Yeah, everything's fine. Sorry about that, it's the first time I've seen this, and I wasn't sure…" No need to tell Takuya about his little moment of weakness. Hearing the voice of another of the group returned some strength back into his body, and he stood up. "Where are you?"

"It's kind of hard to tell when there're no real landmarks with all the snow.

"Yeah, I get what you mean…" Kouichi said, frowning at all the fluffy white stuff.

"Hey, are any of the others with you?"

"No, I'm afraid I have no idea where they are."

"Dang," Takuya sighed. "That makes this harder… I hope they're all right."

"So do I…" Kouichi agreed, staring out into the surrounding area and wondering where the others were, and how far apart they all were from each other. Although he still couldn't see much more than a foot ahead of himself, he suddenly got the eerie feeling of being watched. The feeling went away after a minute, however, so he just brushed the incident off as a trick on his mind. He probably was still a bit delirious, after all. With that, he and Takuya began to talk about how they could reassemble the group.

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"Junpei, haven't we been through here before?"

"I don't know."

"I just really feel like we're going in circles." Junpei stopped and turned to stare at Izumi, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

"How the hell can you tell? Everything looks the same out here!"

"Woman's intuition." Junpei rolled his eyes and gave an exasperated sigh.

"Not this again! Alright, if you think you can navigate any better than I can, then lead the way!"

"Maybe I will," She replied, and walked in front of him, though she was careful not to get far from him. The two of them had managed to stay together when the group had suddenly separated, and they were determined not to lose each other no matter what, even though their nerves were currently a bit taut in their anxious, freezing state.

"I want to lead, too!" Neemon piped up. Neemon hadn't broken away from the group with them, but rather, the two humans had happened upon the little yellow digimon as he was running around in a panic calling for Bokomon. When the three joined up, however, Neemon had calmed down considerably, and though he still wasn't quite himself without his partner, he made a show of becoming randomly pepped up. Izumi and Junpei exchanged a glance, neither of them wanting to have the absent-minded digimon be their guide yet at the same time not wanting to offend him.

"Yeah, sure," Junpei said. "We'll tell you when you can lead."

"Okay." They continued on for a little while longer like that when Neemon paused. "Do you hear something?" He asked, cocking his head to the side thoughtfully.

"Yeah, a bunch of wind…" Junpei mumbled. "Come on, let's keep going!"

"No, I don't think it's the wind!" Neemon insisted, and the two turned to try and usher the digimon on.

"Neemon, don't worry about it – there's nothing to be concerned-" Izumi started, but then cut off in a small squeal of surprise when she saw a large figure looming behind Neemon. The yellow one, oblivious as always, simply stared at the two humans as they took a step back each.

"What's the matter? Was it something I said?"

"Behind you!"

"Hmm?" Neemon turned around and let out a fearful squeak before running to duck behind the two humans. The figure stepped closer and glared down at them before speaking in a firm voice.

"What do you think you're doing here?"

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Meanwhile, in yet another sector of the snowy land, Bokomon and Tomoki were trudging along, plowing through the snow as they struggled to find the others. Or rather, Bokomon trudged while Tomoki raced around him trying to see anything through the snow.

"Takuya! Kouichi! Junpei! Izumi! Neemon! Where are you?!" Tomoki called at the top of his lungs, hands cupped around his mouth in an attempt to amplify the noise so it could be heard. "Come on, guys, speak up! Takuya!"

"You might want to start saving your breath, Tomoki," Bokomon advised. "They're not going to hear you unless they're really close, which I doubt."

"Well I have to do something!" Tomoki protested.

"Alright, I'll tell you what you can be doing, and that's looking out for yourself. Snowy climates are so treacherous and unpredictable, and you can never be certain that what you see at a glance is all there is to it! Many a digimon that ventured into these lands without the proper equipment and knowledge have perished here! So many dangers, like blizzards, thin ice, and pitfalls, not to mention just spots of really deep snow!"

"Now you tell me," Tomoki grumbled.

"Ah yes, you've already seen the results of a blizzard. They can easily confuse your sense of direction." Bokomon sighed. "I should have had us all stop and wait before it could get this bad and we all got separated… Well, anyway, just watch where you step. You never know when you'll step on something dangerous concealed by snow."

"I'm not a baby, you know…" Then, in an attempt to divert the subject from himself, he added, "So, you think the others will be all right?"

"Well, like I said, these lands are very dangerous, and it can be easy to make a fatal mistake…but, they're all Legendary Warriors, so I wouldn't worry too much about any of them. Except Neemon. Who knows what kind of trouble that nincompoop has gotten himself into?" Bokomon heaved another sigh.

"I'm sure he'll be okay, too," Tomoki said. They walked on in silence for a few more minutes, and Tomoki turned his gaze to the sky, wishing the snow would just stop already. He was getting numb all over from cold, and was starting to fear getting frostbite – he would much prefer to keep all of his body parts fully functioning.

Suddenly, as he was taking another step, he found that his foot wasn't connecting with the ground when it should have been, instead shooting straight down through the snow. Next thing he knew, he was falling forwards into the darkness of a deep pit, a flurry of snow that was dragged down with him fluttering around him.

"Tomoki!" Bokomon cried, rushing to the edge and watching helplessly as Tomoki plunged down out of sight. "Oh dear, I warned you about pitfalls! Tomoki, are you all right? Can you hear me? Tomoki!" The mutant digimon waited anxiously, but his only reply was the faint echo of his own voice bouncing off the walls of the ravine.

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Yes, I decided to leave off at a sort of cliffhanger. Yeah. Well, hope you liked it!


	5. Trial of Ice

There we go, I did a little better this time. Well, not much to say here, except it's finally summer (woot!). Anyway, read on!

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon Frontier.

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"Kouichi! Hey, can you hear me now?"

"No."

"Okay, how about…now!"

"Still nothing." BurningGreymon growled in frustration. He and Kouichi had kept contact with each other and waited out the storm before setting their plan into motion, which was basically having Kouichi stay where he was while Takuya flew around as BurningGreymon and tried to locate him as well as look for any sign of the others. BurningGreymon alighted on a ledge on a nearby mountain he had come across for a moment to give his frozen wings a break and scan over everything in his field of vision.

"This is starting to sound like a Verizon commercial," He grumbled before trying again. "Can you hear me?!"

"Sorry," Kouichi sighed, but BurningGreymon wasn't paying attention to him anymore. He heard an ominous rumbling sound coming from behind him and turned around, confirming his fears.

"Aw, crap," He managed to get out before being plowed down by the mini avalanche he had caused. It dragged him down the side of the mountain and completely covered him before coming to a stop.

"Takuya?! Are you okay?! What happened?!" Kouichi's worried voice buzzed through the D-Tector.

"Wildfire Tsunami!" BurningGreymon called, freeing himself from the snow with an explosive blast of flame. He then righted himself, glaring at the snow in disgust before replying. "Yeah, I'm fine. This place just isn't that great for a fire digimon." He shook all the snow off himself and spread his wings, giving them a couple small flaps before taking off again to resume the search. "If only this thing acted as a tracker, too," He said, looking down at the device in his hands.

"Hey, maybe it does!" Kouichi said.

"Hmm? You really think so?"

"Yeah, why not? This thing can probably do a lot that we haven't figured out yet. And besides, didn't it guide Kouji to his Human Spirit of Light?" A pang of nostalgia entered his voice when he said Kouji's name, but when he continued he forced his voice to sound more cheerful. "If it can do that, then maybe it can also locate the others!"

"Yeah, I guess that could work. But how would we do it? Do we really want to destroy our current connection to find out?"

"Honestly, this connection isn't really doing us much good right now. A radar, if we can make it work, would be much more useful."

"Yeah, I guess you're right… Okay, let's hope this works."

"Yeah. See you, Takuya."

"See you." With that, they reluctantly let their connection go, reluctant, because being able to speak with each other like that was the only comfort they had at the moment. BurningGreymon landed again and warped back into Takuya then began to stare at his D-Tector. How was he supposed to figure out the radar? It was hard enough just to open up a communication line! _Well, here goes nothing, _he thought, reaching out to press a button.

"Hey, you there!" Takuya jumped, not expecting to hear someone else out here. He turned around and saw a large snow man that faintly resembled a bear walking towards him; a Frigimon. "Yeah, you. Who are you?"

"I'm Takuya Kanbara…" The Frigimon nodded.

"So, you're friends with Izumi and Junpei, right?"

"Yeah. Why? Do you know where they are?!"

"Yeah, they're back at my place. I found them out in the storm with Neemon. Said they were lost and needed to find their friends, so I decided to help them out." Takuya gave a relieved smile.

"So they're okay…that's great, thanks." His relief gave way to concern again. "But that still leaves Kouichi, Tomoki and Bokomon…"

"Don't worry, I'll find all your friends. In the meantime, why don't you come back with me and rest up with the others? You look pretty cold."

"I am, but I can't just go relax while the others are still out there somewhere. I've gotta keep looking too!"

"It's good of you to care about them so much, but really it's best if I do it. I know the area well and the cold doesn't bother me. Now come along; the sooner we get you back, the sooner I can resume searching for your friends."

"Oh, alright…" Takuya consented reluctantly and began to follow the large snow digimon.

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"Mm, this is really good!" Junpei said, gulping down the fish Frigimon left out for them. Izumi frowned at him from her position across the fire.

"Junpei, you'd better slow down. You're going to eat it all by yourself at that pace, if you don't choke first. I'm not performing CPR for you."

"Gee, thanks for caring so much about me. Don't worry, I'm going to save some for them…that is, if they get here quick enough." Izumi just resumed to stare into the flames, her thoughts drifting back to the others. Frigimon had been gone for a while now, and she wondered if everyone was okay.

"My pants are all nice and warm now!" Neemon said happily, leaning back just a little too close to the fire. The fire crackled and several embers flew out, landing on and catching fire to the red material. The yellow digimon shrieked, took off outside and dove into the snow.

"Neemon, are you okay?!" Izumi called.

"My warm's gone now," He sniffed, trudging back inside to sit next to the fire. They sat in silence around the fire for a few long, quiet minutes when they heard footsteps outside and turned their attention to the entrance. When the person came in sight, they recognized him immediately and grinned.

"Hey, Takky's here!" Junpei exclaimed.

"Takuya, thank goodness you're okay!" Izumi breathed in relief. "Come, sit by the fire." She scooted over, waving him over, and he came and gladly sat next to her, holding his hands out near the flames to warm them. She reached over and touched his arm. "You're freezing!"

"Yeah, ice isn't exactly my element."

"I know, it's not mine either."

"Ditto," Junpei said. Izumi looked back to the cave entrance.

"So, the others aren't with you, are they?"

"No," Takuya answered. "Frigimon directed me over here and went back to look for them. I do know that Kouichi is okay, though."

"Really? How?"

"The D-Tectors, remember?"

"Oh yeah! How could I forget about that? We could've contacted you all a long time ago! Come on, let's try to get in touch with them now!" She took out her D-Tector, but Takuya put his hand on hers and stopped her. "What are you doing, Takuya?"

"Don't disturb them. Kouichi's busy trying something else with his, and you might disrupt him."

"Oh. Okay then." She put it away and curled in on herself as she again stared vacantly into the flames. "I just hate waiting like this though… They'd better all be okay."

---------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, Kouichi was still messing around unsuccessfully with his own D-Tector, gritting his teeth in frustration and doing his best to ignore the cold, heightened by his damp clothes. He was starting to wish he'd just stayed on with Takuya, as he felt very alone out here and had nothing at all to show for his efforts. But more than that, he wished he could be somewhere warm. For that, he envied Takuya. Takuya had complained about the cold as well, but at least he had the ability to create fire with his Spirits of Flame.

"Hey, kid! Would you happen to be Tomoki Himi or Kouichi Kimura?" Kouichi jumped and let out a startled cry, accidently pressing down on a few buttons; he had been so wrapped up in his task that he hadn't heard anyone approach. Then, to his astonishment, the strange device he held began to respond and a holographic circle appeared with several colorful spheres floating above it.

"Oh! It's working!" He exclaimed, his shock turning to joy.

"What's working?" He noticed a Frigimon looking over him at the D-Tector and turned around, showing it to him.

"The radar! I've been out here working on it for ages! Ah – and yes, I'm Kouichi." He added, remembering the unanswered question. "Why do you ask?"

"I've come to bring you back to my cave. All your friends are there waiting for you, except Tomoki and Bokomon."

"So all the others are fine, then?" Frigimon nodded, and Kouichi gave a relieved smile. "That's good; it'll save us some time. I'll help you search for Tomoki, now that I have this thing working."

"Not so fast – you'd best just let me take you back so you can dry and warm yourself up. You really don't look so good, you know, or sound it."

"Honestly, I'm fine!" Kouichi insisted, but a sudden bout of coughing betrayed him, and now that he paid attention, he noticed that his voice did sound a little horse. He mentally panicked; he couldn't afford to get sick, not now! Frigimon gave him a skeptical look, knowing it was obvious for both of them.

"Come now, don't go trying to play the hero. Your kind wasn't made for conditions such as these."

"Exactly, and this only strengthens my argument – if I'm already starting to get this bad, then what about Tomoki? There's no time to waste, and really, it can't take that long while I have this." He gestured to the D-Tector. They stared each other down a moment before Frigimon sighed in defeat.

"I know I shouldn't let you come in this condition, but fine, you do make a point. But if it gets worse, I'm taking you straight back regardless of whether we've found him or not!" Kouichi nodded.

"Thank you."

That decided, Kouichi and Frigimon walked through the frigid wasteland together, Kouichi's eyes trained on the radar on his D-Tector, which behaved much like a compass, and Frigimon's eyes on Kouichi, ready to carry him back to the cave if need be. The young Warrior of Darkness was honestly not looking too well, his body being constantly wracked by shudders and coughing spasms that the icy digimon was unable to help with. Frigimon had insisted a couple more times that Kouichi go, but the human refused, determined to both find his friend and ignore his current ailment. They had been walking for a while now, following the blue sphere on the radar that was assumed to be Tomoki, but there was still no sign of the Warrior of Ice.

"Kouichi? Kouichi, is that you?!" Kouichi jerked his head up at the familiar voice and hurried over in that direction, sure enough running into a welcome sight.

"Bokomon!" He exclaimed, rushing to the mutant digimon's side and exchanging joyous smiles with each other.

"Oh, Kouichi, thank the heavens you've found me! I've been waiting here for ages, and I was starting to think that I'd never be found! Listen up, Kouichi, we've got a problem! Do you happen to know where any of the others are?"

"Yeah, everyone but Tomoki," Kouichi answered. "The others are safe."

"Thank goodness. We need someone who can fly, and fast! See that ravine?" He pointed to an odd mound of snow, and Kouichi squinted at it a minute before seeing the opening and nodded.

"What about it?"

"Tomoki and myself were walking about together when he suddenly fell down there! I don't know if he's all right, I've been standing here yelling, but he never answers me!" Just then, Bokomon broke into a small cough spasm, and Kouichi frowned in concern.

"You don't look so good." He said, but then broke into his own fit.

"Speak for yourself. Anyway, there's no time to worry about that. We need to hurry and get the others!" Kouichi nodded.

"Right." He turned to the large ice digimon next to him, who had his eyes trained on the chasm. "Frigimon, do you know the way back from here?"

"No worries. We're not too far from my cave. Let's hurry back and you two can get some rest and defrosting." Kouichi nodded and started off, but broke into yet another bout of coughing and lost his balance, forcing Frigimon to catch him. "I think it might be for the best if I carry you." He looked over to the other digimon, who didn't really look much better. "And you, too. There now, let's get going!" Human and mutant digimon in hand, Frigimon started back to the cave at a hurried pace. It didn't take them too long to arrive. As soon as they burst in, the others looked up and scrambled out of the way so there would be room next to the fire.

"Kouichi! Are you okay?" Izumi demanded as he settled down. His clothes were still damp, though they had frozen to ice in some parts, and when she felt him she was alarmed to find his skin was deathly cold, even worse than Takuya had been.

"I'll be fine," He tried to assure her with a cough.

"Seriously, man, what happened to you out there? You weren't out _too_ much longer than me!" Takuya said.

"Yes, but I'm not the Warrior of Fire." Kouichi answered, and Takuya frowned in realization as he remembered that he did, in fact, have access to more warmth than the others.

"Bokomon!" Neemon cried, flinging himself onto said digimon.

"Get off of me!" Bokomon snapped. "It's not like I'm dying or anything, so save it!"

"But…but I missed you…" Neemon sniffed, though he did comply. He sat there sulking a minute before Bokomon sighed and gave in.

"Oh, alright. Come here." Neemon immediately perked up and threw his arms around the mutant digimon in a tight embrace that left its victim struggling for air. Frigimon observed the scene for a moment more before straightening himself and turning back to the exit.

"I'll just be going now. Your other friend… He's the Chosen of Ice, isn't he?"

"Yes – Tomoki!" Kouichi exclaimed, jerking up. He had momentarily forgotten his younger friend's predicament in his reprieve. "We have to-" He broke off into another coughing fit and Frigimon continued.

"Just let me handle it."

"I don't think you noticed how deep the ravine was!" Bokomon protested. "There's no way you could climb down, much less up!"

"Trust me," Frigimon said and disappeared outside.

"What do you mean 'ravine'?" Takuya asked, hoping futilely that his suspicions would be false.

"Tomoki fell into a rather deep one, and I haven't heard a word from him since! It's just a good thing I was with him to see where he fell, else I doubt he'd ever be found!"

"It's just one thing after another, isn't it?" Junpei sighed. "I hope the little guy is all right… But just what does Frigimon plan to do about it?"

"I have no idea, but I pray it works…"

---------------------------------------------------

Tomoki groaned and pushed himself up off the icy floor. He had fallen down pretty far, but luckily there had been a pile of snow waiting at the bottom to break his fall, else that might not have ended so well. He tentatively moved his arms and legs, evaluating the damage done. His whole body throbbed from the impact, but the only real problem he found was when he tried to move his right wrist, the part he had landed on hardest, and pain shot through it. He immediately stilled and clutched it, hissing in pain. Was it broken? He let go after a moment and gingerly moved it again. Still painful, but he didn't think it was broken. Either way, this wasn't a good thing. Looking up to where he had fallen from, he saw that the sides were frozen, ice clinging to the only footholds he could have used. He would never be able to climb out, especially with his wrist like this. _Don't panic, Tomoki,_ He told himself. _You'll get out of here. Just hang on._

"Bokomon?" He called. "Bokomon, can you hear me? Are you there? Bokomon!" No answer. But why? Were they really that far apart now? Did Bokomon leave him? Tomoki shook his head and shoved that thought out. Bokomon wouldn't abandon him. Maybe the mutant digimon had gone to get help, or maybe his voice just couldn't be heard over the roaring wind. Yeah, that must be it.

Tomoki shivered, pulling his arms in close to his body. Little snow reached him down here, but little sunlight did either, and, in turn, little heat, making it even colder down here than it was up there. Whatever Bokomon had planned, he hoped that it got him out of here quick. To pass the time and try to keep calm, he began to examine his surroundings. He was in a small room, and everything here was frozen and came in shades of blue and gray. There were a couple crystals of ice placed near a tunnel, and the area around the crystals seemed to be brightest for some reason…

Wait, light? Only then did it hit him that he shouldn't be able to see anything down here. He examined the crystals, and found that they were emitting a soft blue light, just enough to light the room so that he could see without much difficulty. He began to study the crystals in fascination when his eyes were drawn to the tunnel's entrance, which he noticed appeared to be an archway carved by someone, a long time ago, he assumed, from its now rugged appearance. As he continued to look at it, he realized that there was something engraved in the wall and he began to look over the lines. It didn't take him long to figure out what it was.

The Symbol of Ice. Tomoki frowned in confusion. What was the Symbol of Ice doing down here? He continued to look over the arch and found that the Spirits of Ice were also engraved here, and suddenly an idea hit him. Could this be the Shrine of Ice? As soon as he thought it, he had no doubts. By some stroke of luck, he found it. He peered down the tunnel and saw that there were a few more crystals lining it like torches. He couldn't see the end, as there was a turn a little ways down, but this only served to fuel his curiosity. What would he find in there? And now that he was here, how would he unlock his Fusion form? He took a step forward, his foot moving as if of its own accord. He was drawn to the tunnel, as if something were calling him, but he forced himself to stop and look back up. Was it really wise to go on like this, or should he wait until the others were here? If he left now and the others came down after him only to find him not there, then what? Would they be able to find him in the temple?

The incessant pull continued, and it quickly managed to overrule his doubts. It would be fine. And, after all, there was no need to waste any time standing by idly waiting for them when he could be unlocking his Fusion form. His mind made up, he let the mysterious feeling draw him into the tunnel. It wasn't very long; after just a couple twists he found the path blocked by a stone wall covered in glyphs. He glanced around to make sure he wasn't missing anything, but there was no other path. He had expected the temple to be a bit bigger….

Tomoki approached the wall and examined it. The mural consisted of a crude carving of Kumamon in a snowy landscape and a blank crystal-shaped indentation. In the center, there were several markings that he assumed was some type of digicode. He frowned at this – it looked like he would have to wait now so Bokomon could translate. Or did he? It wasn't very likely, but Kumamon was depicted on the wall, so maybe if he Spirit Evolved… He wasn't really sure what he expected to happen, but he took out his D-Tector anyway and began.

"Execute, Spirit Evolution! Kumamon!" Transformation complete, he looked at the wall again and sighed. No difference. What did he expect, really? Just as he was about to give it up, however, the characters on the wall seemed to shift and form into words he recognized. Whether they actually did or not, he wasn't sure, but rather than waste time questioning this, he eagerly began to read it.

_O Chosen Child of Ice_

_If thy intentions are true and thy need great, thou must bear thy heart_

_And complete the incomplete_

_And the path to guidance shall be revealed_

"Bear my heart?" Kumamon murmured aloud to himself. So, he needed to solve this puzzle to proceed. It was pretty vague, as any decent puzzle is, but this didn't discourage him in the least. He enjoyed puzzles and considered himself to be somewhat of an expert at them, so this fueled his interest in the quest. He immediately began to think it over. To who or what was he supposed to 'bear his heart' to, what was he supposed to complete, and how was he supposed to do it all? He let his eyes wander across the mural as he mulled it over until they stopped on the concave crystal. Could it have anything to do with that? It was the only thing he saw here that could possibly be incomplete. Now, he just needed to complete it. He started towards one of the other crystals lighting the temple and reached for it but then stopped, another idea hitting him.

That would be too easy, taking no real effort on his part, and on second thought he guessed that taking a piece from one part of the temple to complete another in this situation wouldn't work, as then anyone who came here could complete it, not just him as he knew the temple was intended for. He was the Chosen of Ice, as the glyph said, and the crystals here were all made from ice, so perhaps what it really meant by 'heart' was his element. He would make the crystal himself. He walked over to the indenture and tried it out.

"Crystal Freeze!" He called, channeling his icy breath into the mold. The layers of ice gradually began to pile up and fill the entire hole. Once it had done so, he cut it off at and waited. The reaction was almost instant. The crystal filled with a bright yet soft blue light that suddenly became violent. The crystal trembled, and cracks appeared on its surface. Within seconds, all the pieces crumbled to the floor, somehow melting despite the freezing temperature, and then…nothing.

Kumamon frowned. He had been so sure about his plan. Maybe he was supposed to take the crystals that were already here after all…or maybe… Another idea hit him, but he was reluctant to carry this one out after seeing the mural's reaction to the other ice crystal. Maybe it wasn't asking for a crystal he made, but a crystal made of _him_. In his Human Spirit Form, it was possible for him to change the appearance of his body, including crystal shapes. The more he thought of it, the more certain he became that it was this light he would have to bear himself to, but still he hesitated. What if he were wrong? What would happen to him? Finally, he decided that he would try it. What was the worst that could happen? He left it at that, not wanting to think about the answer, and reluctantly moved closer to the crystal mold, drawing in a deep breath.

"Here goes nothing," He said, then hurried to proceed before he lost his nerve. "Frozen Tundra!" It was an odd sensation, feeling his body suddenly go beyond the limitations of most creatures, bending and moving in ways that would normally break his bones. This was one of the cooler parts of being a creature made of ice, yet it was also here more than anywhere else that he let the instincts of his digimon side take over due to how alien the whole process was. He guided the formation with mental impressions of what he needed to become and melded into the wall, forming a perfect crystal shape in the indenture. As soon as he was settled, he felt warmth, first only dancing around the edges of his form, but then began to flow into his whole being. The soft light from before came with it, but this he hardly noticed. What really got his attention was what seemed to be a presence there, connecting with him on a spiritual level.

He could feel it moving through him, evaluating him, but he couldn't pick up any solid thought or emotion from it, just vague impressions that, for the most part, seemed neutral. He couldn't tell what it was, just that it was there, and that it felt ancient and wise, but not actually much more alien than his connection with the Spirits of Ice. And while his source of information on it was limited, he could tell that this creature had access to his entire being, and could find anything about him that it wanted. Finally, the creature seemed to feel satisfied and the light and warmth grew in intensity until those two things were all he knew. He couldn't tell where he was or what was happening, causing slight panic. But, before this had a chance to become serious, both things, along with the presence, were abruptly gone, and he was standing back in his standard form in the same place he was in before. Or at least, he thought it was where he had been before…

He stood still for a moment, blinking away the disorientation, then examined his surroundings. Everything looked exactly the same, with one exception – the mural was gone. In its place was the entrance to another room, larger than the one he had first been in. It wasn't too wide, as he could easily see the walls not far away from him. The smooth ceiling was moderately high up, but the room's real size was in its length. It may as well have been a much larger tunnel, for the room stretched far out ahead of him. He walked inside, cautiously at first, but the place seemed empty and there wasn't really much to see, just several giant stalagmites jutting up from the floor, some reaching up near the ceiling to connect with a much smaller stalactite, and the placement of several larger light crystals from before.

Kumamon proceeded to cross the room, glancing off to the sides in case there was something of importance, but he failed to look to a more important direction and soon found himself plummeting downwards for the second time that day. This time, however, it was more of a slide than the previous drop off, the slick ground sloping down steeply and, right up ahead, curving sharply, leaving an almost certain free-fall deeper into the Digital World's core.

Thinking fast, he righted himself best he could, letting his skis slide out from their convenient spot under his boots, and leaned in, barely making the turn. The path continued to twist and he continued down it with expert skill, no doubt with some serious help from his digimon side as he had never actually been skiing before. It was terrifying knowing that one little slip up and he'd be falling for who knows how long, but after he began to get used to it he started to feel a little rush of joy and found himself wishing he could use these more, though preferably under less dangerous circumstances.

At last the slide began to level out and return to normal ground, but then he noticed the large chasm in the center of the room that he was headed straight for. He didn't think he'd be able to brake fast enough at his current speed, so he sucked in a deep breath and began to make a path for himself, riding smoothly across the cavern, that is, until he reached the other side and hit a wall. He groaned, letting his skis retract as he took a minute to recover before getting up. He looked to the wall he had run into, and then to his joy he saw another mural, meaning that he was still on the right track. Again, the digicode was illegible to him, but as soon as he saw the picture of Korikakumon he knew what to do.

"Slide Evolution! Korikakumon!" Now the large Beast Spirit of Ice, he watched as the characters unscrambled themselves and began to read.

_When thou read this, thou hast proven thy mastery of human form_

_And now must face the wild's challenge_

_For only the chilling sting of bestial vigor may pass this door_

"Chilling sting of bestial vigor, huh? Hmm…" He examined the rest of the mural, studying each little opening in it as he tried to figure out what he was supposed to do. How was he supposed to know what part of the mural he was supposed to deal with if the whole thing was full of holes? Just as he thought that, the answer dawned on him. This one was even easier than the last! He studied the position of each slit, ensuring he got his aim right before proceeding. "Frozen Arrowheads!" He called, shooting his long, spear-tipped braids forward and inserting them into each slot, the sting the glyph spoke of. He got his reaction almost immediately, feeling the same presence from before. This time, it seemed more content with him, not as questioning, and didn't stay as long, flooding back out of him with a quick flash of light that left him there in front of the entrance to the next part of his test.

This next room wasn't as tunnel-like as the last, and was full of even larger crystals of ice and stone, though fewer here shone. He walked inside, this time paying more attention to where he put his feet down, which was good as there was another chunk of missing floor keeping him from continuing.

"What's with this place and ravines?" Korikakumon muttered crossly to himself, stepping cautiously towards the edge and looking over. There was no slide this time, and he couldn't see the bottom from his position. Certainly the trail didn't mean for him to go even further down, did it? There was just no way he was going to do that again. He probably would have turned around right then if it weren't for the fact that he had no idea how he'd ever get back out of here. Fortunately, when he looked out across this chasm, he saw more land and a tunnel leading deeper in. Now it was only a matter of getting to it. A large stalagmite at rest on the other side near the edge drew his attention. It appeared to be just about the right length to form a makeshift bridge, if he could just knock it down, which, being that he was a large, muscular abominable snowman with throwing axes, shouldn't be a problem.

He took careful aim at the bases of the pillars and threw his axes with deadly precision. They collided with the stone, chipping some off, then circled back around into his hands like giant, pointy boomerangs of death. He repeated this process several times before the stone column finally wavered and fell. He was right about it being able to reach across the chasm, but only barely, making it rather unstable. Seeing this, he hopped on and hurried across fast as he could manage without falling off. Halfway across, the end resting on the side he had just been on began to slip, forcing him to go even faster and make a final desperate dive just as it plunged down into the abyss. He managed to grab hold of the ledge and flailed around a bit before finally clawing his way up and collapsing on the ground panting, his heart racing from the close call.

He wasn't able to rest long, however. A cracking noise sounded from overhead, and he looked up to see some of the pointed icicles hanging from the ceiling shake as they prepared to fall, which was obviously not a good thing. He scrambled to his feet and took off running for the tunnel as they began to rain down, forcing him to jump aside and shield himself with his axes. Just as he was almost in the safety of the smooth-ceilinged tunnel, he missed one and it sliced across his shoulder. He grit his teeth and groaned in pain, just thankful that he was in his powerful beast form which gave him more endurance than any of his others. As soon as he made it inside, he slowed his pace, reaching back to touch the spot lightly as he pressed on.

Korikakumon soon came out into yet another room, this one empty except for the single large crystal in the center. This crystal was purer in color than the rest, and in the front of it was carved the head of what appeared to be some kind of buffalo. Its mouth was hanging open, as if waiting for something. He couldn't help but wonder if that was what his Fusion form was going to look like, since his other two forms were carved all over the place here. He also took note that it was this that the pull he had felt from the start was guiding him to, and as he approached he felt faint traces of the other presence radiating from the crystal. He stopped right in front of it and examined it, wondering what he was supposed to do now. Could there be more writing around here with directions?

"Only the orbs, imbued with the power of the true Chosen of the Elementals, can undo the final lock." Korikakumon whipped around, startled at the other voice, and saw a Frigimon standing nearby, looking down at the clear sphere he held in his hand.

"Who are you?!" Korikakumon demanded. Frigimon continued without looking up.

"Once the true power of ice thrives within, the ultimate power of the ancients shall awaken. But this power is useless in the hands of the unworthy… Before this can happen, a final requirement must be met." Frigimon closed his hand around the orb and looked up at last, locking eyes with Korikakumon. "I am the Guardian assigned to this temple, keeper of the key, and your final test. If you want to unlock your full potential, then you must first prove yourself by fighting and conquering me. Are you ready to take on this challenge?"

"...I am."

"Very well," Frigimon said, putting away the orb and getting into a battle-ready stance, "let us begin!"

"Avalanche Axes!" Korikakumon said, rushing forward immediately and swinging his axes at the bear digimon, small flurries dancing from them.

"Subzero Ice Punch!" Frigimon countered, striking with his fists that also glowed with icy power. They did this a few times, neither gaining or losing any ground until Korikakumon cut off the attack, jumping back and changing tactics.

"Frozen Arrowheads!" He called, wrapping his braids around Frigimon and, with a bit of effort, tossing the digimon into a wall. As he began to retract the braids, however, Frigimon reached out and grabbed on, giving it a hard tug and in turn causing Korikakumon to lose his balance and fall.

"Snowball Fight!" Frigimon said, and Korikakumon looked up just in time to get a face full of snowballs. He growled and shook the snow off, rolling aside just in time to evade the next round and got back to his feet.

"Two can play at that game! Slide Evolution! Kumamon!" Again the Human Warrior of Ice, Kumamon took out his big green launcher and aimed it at Frigimon. "Blizzard Blaster!" With that, a massive snowball fight erupted with more destructive force than any ever seen on Earth, icy balls imbued with power flying across the room at high speed. Finally it ended, leaving both digimon panting as they stared at each other. This time it was Frigimon to make the first move, racing over with another Subzero Ice Punch. Kumamon used Frozen Tundra, shrinking down into the ground and successfully dodging, then sprang up, tackling Frigimon and throwing a Crystal Breeze at him. He kept it going until he ran out of breath and was forced to stop, then looked wearily at his opponent, who lay there covered in ice. Finally Frigimon moved, and Kumamon moved to attack again.

"I see, you're not too bad at this…" Frigimon said, and Kumamon stopped seeing that Frigimon was no longer attacking, though he refused to let his guard down in the case this was part of the test. Seeing this, Frigimon chuckled and shook his head. "Don't worry. You pass. It's good to see a person worthy of the Ice's power finally arrive. Here, the final key as promised." Frigimon handed the orb over to Kumamon, who looked at it in admiration for a moment before something dawned on him.

"Thanks, but, what do I do with this?"

"You made it this far and I have to tell you what to do?" Kumamon frowned at the cryptic answer for a moment before his face lit up with realization.

"Right! The statue!" He hurried over to the statue, placed the orb in the buffalo's mouth, and waited. Nothing happened.

"Only the orbs, imbued with the power of the true Chosen of the Elementals can undo the final lock," Frigimon repeated.

"Oh," Kumamon said, finally getting it. "Crystal Freeze!" As soon as his breath touched the orb, the outside froze with transparent crystals of ice while inside a mini snowstorm raged on. The statue's eyes glowed brightly, and light poured out of the crystal, channeling together to form the entire buffalo creature depicted in the statue. It was indeed much like one, though its fur was long and braided, and it had seven pairs of legs that reminded him of a centipede. At last, he was beholding the presence that had followed him through the Temple of Ice.

"So, you've arrived at last, my child," The large digimon said, looking down at him affectionately. "I have long awaited the day when I would get to speak with you and pass on my full power."

"Who are you?" Kumamon asked.

"Ah, yes. I get ahead of myself. I am AncientMegatheriummon, the creator of the Spirits of Ice you wield." Kumamon's eyes widened in surprise. He was talking to the Ancient Warrior of Ice himself!

"Oh, wow! It's great to be able to finally meet you!"

"Not exactly 'meet'. We have already met long ago, when you first found the Human Spirit of Ice you use now. Come now, show me your true form." Kumamon nodded and hurried to release the form, reverting back into his normal human self. AncientMegatheriummon lowered his great head to better look at Tomoki. "Yes, fascinating creatures you humans are…so fragile in your regular states, yet such inner power… Tomoki, my child, you have passed the Trials of Ice, proving your competence with my power. Can you not feel the power of both Human and Beast reverberating within you?" Tomoki blinked and realized that they were, in fact, both thrumming in a way that he couldn't remember them doing before, and nodded somewhat absently in reply. "They are ready. And now, with this, I shall impart with you the last of my strength and allow them to flow together… Are you ready?"

Again, Tomoki nodded, and AncientMegatheriummon pressed his nose to Tomoki's forehead. His form began to waver, and the light that made up his body began to flow into the young human. As it did so, Tomoki could feel his whole body fill with power. His Human and Beast Spirits, which had each been steadily thrumming a silent melody to their own tempos, began to change, shifting from one beat to another until they were finally on the same wavelength, and he immediately felt his power amplify. His D-Tector vibrated lightly, and he picked it up, watching the screen also glow, and he felt a new source of power open up for him. He looked up happily, opening his mouth to say something, but his smile vanished as he noticed that the Ancient Warrior of Ice was no longer there.

"A…AncientMegatheriummon…?" Tomoki called.

"Worry not, Chosen Warrior of Ice," Frigimon said, again alerting Tomoki to his presence. "The Ancient One will always look out for you. For now, I think we'd best leave this place. Your friends are worried about you."

"My friends? Do you know where they are?!"

"Yes, they're all safe. Come with me, I'll show you the way out from here." Tomoki nodded, and the two started on their way, the small human filling with the anticipation of seeing his friends again and getting to finally use his Fusion form.

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Meanwhile, outside the Temple of Ice, the wind and snow had picked up again, not to the intensity it had reached before, but enough to somewhat hinder the group that was traveling through it. Kouichi and Bokomon were in the lead together, but neither of them were feeling too good and had to keep stopping from violent coughing fits or a sudden moment of weakness. Kouichi was just experiencing one himself now, stumbling in the snow and almost falling, Junpei quickly coming to the rescue.

"You know, I'm no doctor, but I really don't think you guys need to be out here," Junpei commented.

"Excuse us, but we're the only ones who have any clue where Tomoki and Frigimon are," Bokomon reminded him.

"That may be, but Frigimon said he'd take care of it," Izumi said. "We should trust him. He found you guys and Takuya, after all."

"Yes, but Frigimon's been gone for too long. What if something bad happened to him or Tomoki?" Kouichi asked.

"What if something bad happens to us out here?" Takuya asked. "I mean, are you guys even positive you know where you're going?"

"Of course we are!" Bokomon snapped, then added in a smaller voice upon glancing around at the endless field of white, "maybe…" Junpei sighed.

"Why did I ever let myself get talked into this in the first place…?"

"Just a little further, I'm sure we're almost there!" Kouichi said, looking back to the elder boy. Suddenly, a fierce gust of wind blew, and the knot in Kouji's bandanna finally came loose as it had been fighting the wind for some time now without being tightened again. "No!" Kouichi gasped, taking off after it with a sudden burst of energy.

"Hey, Kouichi! Wait up!" Takuya called, though his plea fell on deaf ears. Kouichi continued to chase it, eyes only for the bandanna; he wasn't about to let it slip through his fingers like that. He ended up tripping in a snowdrift, however, and looked up after the piece of cloth to find that another hand had snatched it back from the wind. His eyes moved slowly to look into the red eyes of the other person, and they stared at each other as Kouichi choked out the other's name.

"Talismon…!"

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In case you haven't noticed yet, I suck when it comes to battle scenes. Anyway, hope you liked it!


	6. Encounter

Here's the next chapter. Sorry again for the wait. My brain died for a while there. –glares at battle scene-

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Kouichi stared into the face of the demon his brother had become. He tried to get up, to do anything, but he found himself frozen, mesmerized. Talismon had come. He wasn't ready for this! None of them were! In the back of his mind, he dully noted the sound of crunching snow as the others caught up and came to a stop around him.

"Kouji!" Takuya gasped, slipping into a defensive position. Junpei and Izumi awkwardly did the same. Unlike normal enemies, it didn't feel right when it was a friend you were facing. Talismon just chuckled, chilling red eyes sweeping across the group as he gave them a malicious smile.

"Well, fancy meeting you all out here," He said casually. "What do you all think you're doing out here in the cold? If I recall correctly, this wasn't exactly your favorite place to be."

"Yeah, well it wasn't yours, either," Junpei said.

"As sardonic as ever, I see, Junpei. But, you are correct." Talismon examined the bandanna in his hand with little interest and looked to Kouichi. "So, found my bandanna, have you? How sweet that you'd give it such consideration." He walked forward and the group stiffened. Takuya moved protectively in front of Kouichi, but Talismon gently moved him to the side with a look meant to be reassuring that actually did very little to help. The digimon then knelt in front of Kouichi, helping him up to his feet and pressing the bandanna into the human's hands. "Do what you want with it. I no longer need this."

Kouichi looked down at it numbly. That simple action was another painful reminder of their situation for him. It wasn't like he _wanted_ Talismon to have it, but his brother hated to go anywhere without his bandanna, and that this creature would so willfully reject it... He looked back up to find Talismon staring hard at him, as if he could read his thoughts. When Kouichi looked, Talismon softened his expression, though it remained more serious than it was before.

"The time for idle chat has passed. We need to get down to business, and the sooner we get that done, the sooner we can get you somewhere warm." Talismon said, and the knowledge of what was coming forced Kouichi to look back down. "It's time you gave me your answer. You have thought about what I said, haven't you?" There were several vehement exclamations as the others shouted their answers, but Talismon didn't seem to notice, waiting for Kouichi's answer.

"…yes," Kouichi finally answered in a quiet voice, "I have thought about what you said. And I believe you." Talismon grinned triumphantly.

"I knew you'd see it see it my way, brother!"

"Kouichi, what are you thinking?!" Takuya yelled. "You know that Lucemon is pure evil!"

"Yeah! What happened to all your talk about saving Kouji from this?!" Junpei demanded. Kouichi shook his head.

"Let me finish. I don't believe all that about Lucemon being good – I realize that was a bunch of lies constructed by Lucemon himself. What I'm referring to is our little conversation before." Kouichi looked back up, emotion pouring back into his voice and a determined but pained expression setting on his face. "I know you don't really want to do this, Kouji. You never wanted to side with him! I failed to keep you away from his corrosive touch, but I promise you, I _will _free you from this as you did for me!"

"It seems I've misjudged you, Kouichi," Talismon said, his expression hardening. "I thought you had more sense than that."

"I've got more sense than you seem to have right now." Kouichi drew out his D-Tector solemnly. "I'm sorry, Kouji, but I have to do this." Talismon eyed the device skeptically.

"What are you going to do, Kouichi? Are you really going to fight me, with your group incomplete?"

"I have no choice. Execute, Spirit Evolution! Loewemon!" Takuya stepped up next to Loewemon, giving him an approving, solemn nod.

"Good choice, Kouichi. Glad to hear you haven't lost it." He looked up to Talismon, overcome with déjà vu as he took out his D-Tector as well. He had once fought alongside Kouji to free Kouichi from the evil spell of a corrupt digimon, and now it seemed he would have to do something very similar again. Thinking of all the strife the two brothers had been through, and in turn, the rest of their group, made his blood boil, and this rage, directed at Lucemon, showed now in his expression as he prepared for battle. "Don't worry, Kouji! We'll save you! Execute, Fusion Evolution! Aldamon!" The other two members of their group, giving each other a brief nod, were quick to follow suit.

"Execute, Spirit Evolution! Kazemon!"

"Beetlemon!" Talismon appraised the group with cold eyes, though he didn't seem worried that four of his old allies, all proven fighters, were poised to attack him, only disappointed.

"I see how it's going to be. I was hoping it wouldn't come to this, but you leave me no choice. Let's get this over quickly; Lord Lucemon is waiting."

"Yes, and we all know we don't want to keep 'Lord Lucemon' waiting," Beetlemon said sarcastically.

"Let's do this! Atomic Inferno!" Aldamon said, starting off the attack.

"Hurricane Wave!" Kazemon joined in, lending Aldamon's attack more ferocity.

"Divine Protection!" Talismon summoned his bright shield of light, and Beetlemon seized his chance to run in to a better position.

"Thunder Fist!" He executed his attack as soon as he saw the shield begin to fade, striking blindly into the light, and felt his fist collide with something. When the light cleared, he growled in frustration when that 'something' was revealed to be Talismon's metal glove, which he had raised to defend himself. Talismon smirked, swiftly freeing his hand from their lock and grabbing onto Beetlemon's wrist, and with a quick twist, flipped the larger digimon forcibly onto the ground with power that was belied by his lanky figure.

"Shadow Lance!" Loewemon yelled, thrusting his spear forwards. Talismon ducked out of the way and turned to face his next attacker, drawing out a simple blue and white staff from a flash of light. The two engaged in fierce combat with these weapons, but Talismon quickly overpowered Loewemon, knocking the spear out of his hands and delivering a hard kick to the young Warrior of Darkness's back. By then, the other three were ready to join back into the fight and started to charge Talismon at once, but with a graceful series of punches, kicks and lashes from his staff, Talismon managed to repel them all without a scratch.

"Oww…that's no fair! How come everyone that joins the dark side always gets so strong?!" Beetlemon complained.

"It's because we don't bind and weaken ourselves by refusing to do the things considered 'immoral' by your kind that ultimately result in immense power gains," Talismon replied easily, though he knew Beetlemon hadn't truly been expecting an answer. Kazemon opened her mouth to protest, but he cut her off. "Don't worry, I don't expect you to understand in your current state. Now, if you don't mind, I'll be finishing this. Light's Judgment!" Talismon jumped back, getting them all into his sight, and outstretched his arms. Hundreds of points of light formed around him and began to shift into the shape of arrows. As soon as they did so, he moved his arms forward, a signal to the barrage to go forth and rain mercilessly upon the group. He held the attack for a few seconds before releasing as he saw the data forming around them, signaling their transformation back to human form. The battle over, he walked closer to the group, particularly Kouichi, and smirked.

"Now, that was easy," He said, eyes drifting over the group. "Lord Lucemon is sure to be pleased…but we have an incomplete set. Where is Tomoki, anyway? He's missing out on the fun." Just then, they heard the crunching snow as someone approached, and a familiar voice call out to them; Tomoki.

"Hey, guys, are you okay?!" They all turned to see the Warrior of Ice running for them, Frigimon close behind.

"Tomoki! Get out of here!" Takuya yelled. "He's too strong!" Tomoki ignored his plea and soon arrived next to them, eyes darting over the group to make sure everyone was there and alive before looking up to their attacker.

"Talismon? He did this?"

"Yes! Now run! It's all over if he gets all of us!" Tomoki shook his head, walking forward until he came between the group and Talismon.

"You don't honestly think I'd leave you, do you? Besides, this is as good a time as any to try out my Fusion form." This got everyone's attention, giving them a spark of hope.

"Fusion form? You mean you got it?!" Junpei exclaimed. Tomoki flashed them a grin.

"Yep! Now let's just hope it's as good as Kudamon said it would be!" He turned his attention to Talismon, whose eyes were narrowed skeptically, and pulled out his D-Tector, his own expression growing solemn. "It's too bad I couldn't try it out under better conditions, though."

"Fusion form? Are you serious?" Talismon asked. "Since when do you have that?"

"Since now."

"And what makes you think it's going to save you, when Aldamon didn't stand a chance?"

"Why don't I just show you?" Talismon nodded.

"Very well, I'll humor you."

"Alright, here goes," Tomoki took a deep breath before beginning. "Execute, Fusion Evolution! Daipenmon!" For a moment, all anyone could do was stare. And then…

"An axe-wielding abominable snowman and a gun-wielding snow bear equals…a popsicle-wielding penguin?" Junpei deadpanned. And, that's pretty much what Daipenmon was – a large blue and white, bulky penguin that held two giant popsicles, one blue and one red.

"Looks like you decided to humor me," Talismon laughed. "Seriously, what kind of joke is this?"

"Well, I didn't see that one coming," Takuya said, "but, the fact that he doesn't look anything like his other forms aside, go Daipenmon! You can do this!"

"Right!" Daipenmon said, preparing to fight. Talismon smirked.

"Give me your best shot!"

"Don't worry, I will!" Daipenmon pointed his popsicles forward and shot two colored icy blasts from them.

"Divine Protection!" Talismon said, bringing back the annoying shield. The attack refracted off of it, but Daipenmon continued with the attack. Just when it seemed he was going to have to give up the attack, the shield faltered and the attack got through, hitting Talismon and making him slide back, his face revealing pain and frustration. "How-?! You're actually strong!"

"You underestimate us too much, Kouji!"

"You're right. I was once one of you, so I should have realized you would find some way to get stronger; you're annoying that way. But don't get cocky yet. You still won't win this one."

"We'll see about that!" Daipenmon fired off another blast, but Talismon rolled out of the way of this one and shot several more arrows, which Daipenmon blocked with a popsicle. Talismon then ran in with his staff and the two began to fence, all while throwing the occasional blast. They continued like this for a while, both sides tiring, when Talismon happened to notice Daipenmon flinch slightly whenever much pressure was applied to his right hand. His opponent's weakness known, his movements were fueled with imminent victory as he rushed to expose it, blocking and dodging blows until he was in just the right position before bringing his staff down hard on the spot. Daipenmon cried out in pain and dropped the blue popsicle sword, then frantically swung at Talismon with the other. The Warrior of Light saw this coming, however, and sprang into the air, landing neatly on top of it before aiming his palm at Daipenmon.

"Light's Judgment!" He said, and Daipenmon's face contorted in agony as he got a face full of light arrows. Talismon then leapt off the popsicle as the Warrior of Ice started swinging wildly and threw his staff, which was beginning to glow with a vibrant white light, straight at Daipenmon and got a direct hit. There was a flash of light, and when it cleared, Tomoki now lay motionless on the ground.

"Tomoki, no!" Takuya cried. Talismon grinned.

"I told you you couldn't win," He said to the unconscious child before looking over to the others. "But I have to hand it to him; he put up quite a fight. Now, to finish my business here…" Talismon started for them, but Frigimon stepped between him, making him scowl. "Oh please, what now?"

"Frigimon, what are you doing?!" Izumi demanded.

"Take Tomoki and get out of here!" Frigimon commanded. "I'll hold him off!"

"Are you crazy?! You won't last a minute with him!" Junpei protested.

"So that means you'll just have to run all the faster."

"But-!" Izumi started, but he cut her off.

"Hurry!"

"He's right. We have no other choice." Kouichi said.

"Kouichi!" Izumi exclaimed, staring at him in horror.

"I know, it doesn't sit right with me either. But, we're the only hope the Digital World has. We have to escape." In their hearts, they all knew Frigimon and Kouichi were right from the start. They finally complied, Junpei draping Tomoki over his shoulder, and the group started to leave.

"Do you really think I'm going to let you go just like that?!" Talismon snarled, starting to run around Frigimon after them, but the larger digimon grabbed onto him.

"As long as I can help it you are!" Frigimon said. Talismon gave him a glare that almost looked like it would melt the frozen digimon before kicking Frigimon hard enough to loosen his grip. Frigimon, determined to protect the others, refused to let the pain slow him down and immediately countered.

"Subzero Ice Punch!" Talismon easily dodged the attack, rolling around snatching his staff off the ground before facing Frigimon angrily.

"Very well, if that's the way you want it…" He growled, proceeding to mercilessly attack the icy digimon. Frigimon, being the Guardian of the Ice Temple, managed to hold out longer than a normal one of his kind, but it wasn't long before he fell, his fractal code appearing. Talismon absorbed it, watching the digimon disappear before turning to the direction his objectives had run only to find they were already out of sight in the thick snow. "You can't run forever…" He muttered under his breath, giving his bone flute a quick blow. Saberdramon, who had been laying in wait not far away, was quick to arrive, and he leapt onto the bird digimon's back and the two flew away from the frozen wasteland.

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The group, beaten and freezing, forced themselves to move as fast as they could through the deep snow in a mad rush to escape from their former comrade. They knew that by now the fight had to be over, and for all they knew, Talismon could be right on their tails now despite all the snow. As they went, they made sure through silent consent to stay near each other just in case the snow got worse, glancing around every so often to make sure everyone was still there. They never slowed, but once they became more confident they were safe they began to think of other important things.

"Hey guys, where are we going?" Izumi asked.

"I wish I knew," Takuya said.

"What's that over there?" Kouichi asked, spotting a silhouette in the distance. The whole group stopped and followed his gaze to the shapeless forms and tried to discern what they were through the snow.

"I can't really tell from here." Junpei said, giving up. "We need to get closer. What do you guys think?"

"Why not? It's not like we're getting anywhere going this direction." Izumi said. They approached the area cautiously, watching for danger as the silhouettes came into better focus. Sliding down a small mound of snow, they finally reached their destination and found it to be a large city, ruined and abandoned, but nonetheless a city. They walked slowly into the street, gazing around sadly at the destruction. The city appeared to have been a prosperous, lively one, many of the buildings having been businesses of some sort. At least, that was their best estimate, considering that most of the buildings had sustained more or less damage ranging from simply scratched to completely obliterated. It was obvious the place had been abandoned only recently, as the snow level, while increasing and threatening to bury everything, wasn't yet near the height of the surrounding area.

"Oh man…." Takuya murmured, that being all he could say at the moment. Had this tragedy occurred while they had been so close, floundering about helplessly in the snow? They finally came to a stop in the center and looked up at the large furnace, the coals inside still giving off a faint light and, as they died, all signs of life and hope in the area seemed to die as well.

"This is awful..!" Izumi said.

"Is it me, or does this place seem familiar?" Kouichi asked.

"Yes, Kouichi, I do believe this is, or was, the Autumn Leaf Fair." Bokomon said solemnly.

"That it was." They all turned around to see Datamon making his way towards them, carrying a large bag full of scrap metal and various other materials over his shoulder. "I heard you guys had returned. You're a bit late for this place, though."

"Datamon! What happened to this place?" Takuya asked, though he was already sure he knew.

"Oh boy, what happened? I'll tell you what happened! But first, we should probably get you guys out of the cold. I don't think your kind was meant for these conditions, judging by the way you're turning blue. Make yourselves useful and pick up something from that pile to take back. I'm on scavenging duty, you see. There are several parts I needed for my project, and I didn't really trust anyone else to bring me back the right stuff, though I guess a few less than perfect pieces couldn't hurt." Everyone but Junpei, whose hands were already full, obeyed, taking a few pieces from the pile of junk Datamon pointed to before following the digimon outside the city.

"Where are we going?" Izumi asked.

"Our little makeshift refuge we evacuated to after the attack. There really aren't many of us left though, I gotta tell you. Most were killed, turned or captured. It's kinda sad, seeing our community reduced to this." They reached the base of a nearby mountain and Datamon led them into a tunnel surrounded by a few wiry plants that was overall difficult to see in the snow from all but the right angle.

It wasn't very long, just going back around a small curve before coming out into a large network of caves. There was already a support system erected in the more unsteady areas to assure they wouldn't collapse, and there were several digimon scurrying about carrying materials and implementing further changes to make the caves a more suitable place to live and defend. Few digimon looked their way in their haste, but the ones who did usually gave them looks of hope or encouragement, though there were a couple who displayed anger; nothing that they hadn't faced before.

"Wow, you guys have been busy," Junpei commented.

"Yeah, you have to work fast in times like these." Datamon said, coming to a stop in a small cave branched off from the main network and shrugging the bag off to rest on the ground. "Just set your stuff there and come sit next to the fire." He stopped and frowned at Tomoki as they did so, seeming to notice for the first time. "So, I see you haven't been without your own problems. Can't say I'm surprised. Here, just lay him down and I'll see that he's taken care of. Anyone else need any medical attention?"

"Kouichi and Bokomon were feeling a bit under the weather," Izumi volunteered. "They might need to be looked at."

"Izumi!" Kouichi protested, and Bokomon spoke up.

"Thank you, but I'm a digimon. A little rest and warming up should be all for me. But Kouichi, you should consider it. You don't even have a haramaki, after all."

"I don't need to be looked at, either. Being human doesn't make me that weak."

"Alright, if that's what you want," Datamon said. "I'll be right back." He left the room, soon returning with a Floramon, who immediately went over and began to look over Tomoki upon seeing him, checking out all his wounds before stopping at his right wrist that had bruised and swollen slightly.

"Oh my, that doesn't look so good. What happened?" She asked, her soft voice layered with concern as she looked to the others.

"We can't really say. We all got split up there for a bit." Junpei answered.

"Well, I can't really say I'm surprised. It would be difficult to navigate around here without a guide, especially during this time of year. This is the worst time for blizzards and the like, you know." As she spoke, she prodded at Tomoki's wrist, giving it as thorough examination as she could. "Well, he's going to be fine. It's just a sprain." She concluded before rummaging around in a small bag she brought with her until he pulled out a small container. From the container, she took a light green cream and rubbed it on the wound along with a couple others before putting it away and securely wrapping the injured wrist in some bandages. "There you go. Just make sure he moves that wrist as little as possible for a couple days when he wakes up and he'll be perfectly fine."

"Thanks, Floramon." Izumi said, smiling at the flower digimon, who nodded and returned it.

"No problem. I'm going back to the infirmary now. If you need anything else, feel free to call on me." After gathering her stuff back into the bag and giving them a quick curtsy, she was gone.

"Now then, on to business," Datamon said, regaining their attention. "As you know, Lucemon is at it again, and the whole Digital World is in peril. You obviously wouldn't be here if that weren't the case. This time, he has a lot more digimon on his side. How, I don't know, but I do know that his army isn't to be taken lightly. He's got quite a few, and some of them seem to be buffed up with more power than you'd think their species are capable of. Our community isn't to be taken so lightly either, though. Despite all this, we managed to hold out pretty well against his forces, but just as victory seemed to be in sight, the tides abruptly turned on us…" Datamon's face twisted in disgust as he went on. "We really would have won if that one guy, Talismon, hadn't decided to show his ugly face. He was insanely powerful, and you should've seen the way he paraded himself around as the 'loyal disciple of Lucemon, savior of the Digital World'. What's even worse was that they all hailed him as a hero!" He shook his head. "Lucemon's sure created himself a monster. I don't know who Talismon thinks he is, but if I ever get a hold of the little bastard, I'll-!"

"E-excuse me," Kouichi interrupted, abruptly climbing to his feet and running out of the room.

"Kouichi, wait!" Takuya called, but Kouichi never slowed and was soon out of sight. Takuya sighed and stood up. "I'd better go get him."

"What's up with him?" Datamon asked.

"Well, you see…" Izumi began explaining as Takuya left the room.

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Talismon walked through the hallways, troubled thoughts pestering him as he left from his report with Lucemon. He had brought back a decent amount of data this time – there was plenty to be found at the Autumn Leaf Fair – but now something else had arisen to disturb him. He wasn't sure how they were doing it, but somehow, the other Legendary Warriors were gaining Fusion Form, and not just the wimpy forms that he and Takuya had received. It didn't make sense, that Tomoki's Fusion should be so much stronger than Takuya's, but somehow it was happening, and he didn't like it. This new form was strong, not strong enough to best him alone, but if the others started accessing this power as well…

No. He wouldn't think like that. He couldn't let Lord Lucemon down, and let all this effort go for naught. He would find a way to stop them, one way or another, and bring them to see the light, as they had foolishly chosen to continue down their misguided path. As he went, he happened to notice Aquilamon and smiled, getting an idea.

"Aquilamon, come here. I've got a job for you…"

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Kouichi ran blindly through the halls, muttering absentminded apologies when yelled at, focused simply on getting away. Even as he did it, he knew it was an overreaction, but he found it difficult to sit there and listen to that. He already knew what happened, no need to listen to his brother being slandered as well. They could cue him in later if he missed anything important. Kouichi finally came to a stop once he was alone and slumped down on a rock, recalling the recent events. Talismon's strength and charisma, his malicious charm and undying faith in Lucemon…the looks Talismon gave him, as if their connection still meant something, then the disapproval and anger when Kouichi's opinions strayed…

Talismon was obviously very different from Kouji, but at the same time, they were the same person, all good qualities that made him Kouji hidden just beneath the surface. Lucemon had done a good job taking control of Kouji, completing the process much more smoothly than Cherubimon had. It hurt, every treacherous act he saw and heard about Talismon doing, but it also hurt fighting him. Kouichi knew he'd never be able to fight his brother if it wasn't for the fact that he himself had experienced this, that he knew the truth. It didn't lessen the pain, but it did, at least, keep him on the right path.

"Kouichi!" Kouichi blinked and slowly looked up as Takuya approached and came to a stop beside him, taking a moment to catch his breath. "There you are! Why'd you have to go and run off like that?"

"Sorry…" Kouichi said sheepishly. "I just…"

"It's okay, I get it. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, fine. We should probably be going back now."

"Yeah." There was a pause as Kouichi stood and waited expectantly for Takuya to leave when the other continued awkwardly. "Um…you know, if you ever want to talk…I'm available…" Kouichi smiled.

"Thanks, Takuya. But, I just really miss Kouji, you know?"

"I know. We all miss him, and we are going to get him back." With that, the two made their way back, with a few stops asking for directions along the way. The others, who, minus Datamon, were now holding bowls of soup, turned to look at them as they entered, relief coming onto their faces.

"Oh good, you found him!" Izumi breathed. "Kouichi, how are you feeling?"

"Better," Kouichi answered. Datamon stood and took a few steps towards Kouichi, putting a hand behind his head awkwardly.

"Hey, uh, sorry about that. I didn't know…"

"It's okay. You don't have to apologize. Besides, I think I kind of have to agree with you. The person you were talking about – the one who did those things – is not my brother. I'm the one who's sorry, for reacting the way I did."

"It's perfectly understandable. So, if we're good, then I guess you guys better come in and eat." The two sat next to the others and Datamon fetched them both bowls filled with a steamy vegetable soup. After this, it was getting late, or so they assumed from their exhaustion since there was no sun down here, so they were all shown to a spot where they could stay the night.

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I have to apologize for the short suckyness of this chapter. This chapter broke my goal of at least 5000 words per chapter, but I couldn't figure out any other way to close it without it taking ages, and I figured after, what, two weeks?, that I should have a little something up, so…sorry. I'll try to make it up to you once I've revived my brain. x_x


	7. Path of Shadows

I know I have a habit of apologizing a lot for stuff, but I honestly think not updating for over two months deserves an apology…so, sorry. It's not that I'm busy or anything, it's actually that I've had so much spare time and pretty much no structure to go with it, that my brain just a'sploded on me for a while there. Fortunately, I think I've managed to put back together all the important parts; unfortunately, we were out of super glue, and even duct tape, so I had to resort to that crappy stick glue. Hopefully that holds together until I get something better. xD

But in all seriousness, I will probably be able to focus on this more once school starts again, which is soon, and during this down time I've managed to piece a few more things together, so now this story has more of a plot that hopefully makes more sense! Yay! And one more thing…just want to give a big thank you to my reviewers for being supportive; I will freak out, I will think that this story sucks and should be completely wiped from existence, which can probably get annoying on all sides, but you guys keep me trying…this is assuming that I still have anyone reading after that down time, heh. ^^; So yeah. Enough of my rambling, and on with the long-overdue seventh chapter! (Whoa, seven chapters?! Farthest I've ever gotten with a story! xD)

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon in any way! And I just realized that I forgot to include a disclaimer for the last chapter, so I say it again;_ I do not own Digimon! _Sorry! –hides from lawyers-

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The next morning they all awoke to find Tomoki already up, eating breakfast and chatting with Datamon, the two having formed somewhat of a bond when they met before.

"Hey Tomoki, good to see you're up, buddy!" Takuya said. "How are you?" Tomoki turned around and greeted them all with a grin.

"Oh, morning guys! I'm fine, my hand is just a little sore, but nothing too bad."

"That's a relief," Junpei said. "What happened out there, anyway?"

"Well, while me and Bokomon were out there looking for you guys, I fell into a deep hole, which is how I sprained my wrist. Luckily for me, that pit happened to be the entrance to the Temple of Ice. After passing through a couple trials and reaching the end, Frigimon came and provided a key after challenging me to a duel. Oh man, it was awesome! You should've been there to see it – I got to talk to AncientMegatheriummon and everything!" He then paused, frowning. "Now you guys have to tell me what happened after that battle. How'd we get away, and where's Frigimon?" The group glanced at each other uncomfortably, which alarmed Tomoki. "What is it? Where is he?! He's okay, right?!"

"Um, you see…Frigimon is kind of how we got away…"

"So…is he…?"

"Yeah." Tomoki's face fell, and he looked down at the floor.

"It's happening again…"

"What's happening again?"

"The sacrifice. People throwing themselves in harm's way, sometimes even dying, to protect us when our own power turns out to not be enough."

"Oh yeah, that…" Takuya frowned as he took a moment to think back on the other times this had happened. "Well, that's why we have to work all the harder, to make sure that their efforts don't go to waste. And you have your Fusion Form now, so as soon as your hand gets better, you'll be kicking butt!"

"Yeah," Tomoki said, looking back up and giving him a small smile. "So, what are we going to do now?"

"Now, I guess we're going to have to move on to the Dark Continent, since we still don't have any idea where the other shrines could be."

"Right." Tomoki looked back to Datamon. "Are you guys going to be okay here?"

"Of course! We're not that fragile, kid!" Datamon replied chidingly. "As soon as we get this defense system implemented they'll be hard-pressed to get to us, if they can even find us! I'm sure we can hold out until you guys can end this madness." He gave the boy an affectionate smile before turning to dig through some of his things. "By the way, I've got something for you. Let's see...ah, here it is!" He walked back over to Tomoki, now holding something in his hand.

"What is it?" Tomoki asked, eyeing it curiously.

"Hold out your arm, would you?" Tomoki complied, and Datamon fashioned the object around his wrist. It was a metallic silver bracer with elegant designs of snow and ice etched upon the borders that seemed to actually move like a snowstorm if you stared at it. Datamon stepped back and smiled at it. "There. It's a perfect fit!"

"It's…it's beautiful, but I couldn't take this!"

"You can and will. Now, this is for more than just looks. I'm an expert with mechanics, if I do say so myself, and I often spend my free time messing around with this and that. This is the result of one of those experiments, and I couldn't help but think it would be useful to you. Just put the finishing touches on last night."

"Wow, thanks! What does it do?"

"That, you'll have to figure out for yourself." While this probably would have perplexed most people, Tomoki looked back down to admire his new accessory with undiminished appreciation, thrilled with the wonder of what it might be capable of and how to activate it.

"Well, I guess we'd better be going now then," Takuya said as the group prepared to leave. "Thanks for everything, and I guess we'll see you later. Hopefully."

"Wait!" Datamon said. "You're going to want to take the other passage if it's the Dark Continent you're headed for. Follow me." They nodded and followed him back through the tunnels. It took much longer to reach than the other exit, but this could probably be viewed as a good thing, meaning less time outside being buffeted by snow. Alas, the end did come soon enough, and they found themselves standing at the opening and getting a taste of the chill waiting for them.

"Ugh, it's freezing!" Izumi complained, shivering. "You wouldn't happen to have any coats or something we could borrow, would you, Datamon?" He looked over her and frowned.

"No, sorry, I don't think we have anything to fit your structure. Tailoring isn't too widely spread here."

"You're cold, Izumi?" Tomoki asked.

"Yeah, we all are!" Junpei answered for her. "Why, aren't you?"

"No, I feel fine. I thought it was heated here."

"How is that possible?" Tomoki frowned and thought about it a moment, his eyes lighting up when he saw the bracelet.

"Oh! Is that what this thing does?"

"No, I didn't make it to be a heater…" Datamon said.

"Hmm… You know, now that I think about it, I didn't feel cold when I was running to you guys yesterday, either."

"Maybe it has something to do with your Spirit, then." Kouichi suggested.

"That's a possibility," Izumi said. "But it still seems a little odd that it would choose now to kick in, considering he had those Spirits for a while now. This whole Fusion Form deal must be more important than we thought." They all nodded in agreement.

"Well, if that's the case then I guess we'd really better be moving on now." Junpei said. They said their farewells to Datamon, thanking him one last time before reluctantly plunging back into the snowy wasteland, which thankfully had calmer weather than they had seen in a while.

Plowing through the deep snow definitely slowed their progress, but gradually they found it was getting easier to move as they neared the border to the next area, although they never felt much change in temperature until some time later. But, at long last, they did make it during that day, snow giving way to hard ground and small amounts of grass as well as other plants as they proceeded and the blue sky gave way to dark, silent turmoil.

"We're here," Takuya said. "The Dark Continent."

"It's about time," Junpei sighed. "I thought I was gonna get frostbite. No offense, Tomoki, but ice is one element I could do without." They continued on, more alert to their surroundings now as they searched for any clues.

"Where do you think it could be?" Tomoki asked, poking his head through a few fronds.

"Beats me."

"I remember this place," Bokomon said suddenly. "If I'm not mistaken, this is where we first met you, Kouichi!"

"Hey, yeah! I remember that too!" Neemon said. "Only you weren't yourself then. You were big and mean and scary and evil…"

"Neemon, that's enough!"

"Ow!"

"Yeah, I remember too," Kouichi said, somewhat spaced out in a tranquil, sad trance as he recalled past events. "This is the place I first doubted the illusion Cherubimon had laid out before me. Of course, I managed to cause a lot more trouble before finally snapping out of it, but ever since I saw Kouji's face I just couldn't stop thinking about him. I knew then that something wasn't right…."

"And then, with a little help, you came to your senses and joined with us, becoming a valuable team member," Izumi said, trying to cheer him up by taking his mind off the darker points of his past. His brother was being controlled by that same evil, which was bad enough; there was no need to for him to also face these tangible reminders.

"Yeah. Who knows what we would have done with Kouji had you not shown up," Junpei said, yawning. "In any case, I think it's time to go to sleep now. That was a long way to walk, and my feet hurt."

"That's a good idea," Izumi agreed, glancing at Kouichi, "but let's keep going that way for a bit before settling down. I'm pretty sure there was a nicer spot somewhere."

"It's the Dark Continent," He grumbled, though he went along with it. "It's not supposed to be nice…" Kouichi threw her a grateful smile. He didn't want to stay here, so close to this particular spot. They did find another decent spot of little consequence, and though it wasn't really better aside from that, Junpei was too tired to complain. Takuya made a quick campfire, which everyone gathered around eagerly to finish thawing out. As Kouichi began to settle down with them, he got the creepy feeling of being watched and turned to find no one, though he could have sworn he saw a couple fronds quivering.

"Hey Kouichi, what's the matter?" Tomoki asked.

"Huh? Oh, it's…" Kouichi paused, turning back to look at them. "Well, I just thought I saw something over there." He pointed to the bushes and the others frowned, staring at the spot. "It's probably nothing," He added.

"Maybe I'd better go check it out, just to be safe." Takuya said, getting up.

"I'll go too!" Tomoki volunteered, hopping up and following along.

"Be careful, you two!" Izumi called after them before sighing. "Takuya doesn't usually seem to have the best of luck in tricky situations."

"Ah, don't worry about him," Junpei said dismissively as he laid down. "He's lucky enough to escape too much trouble, and anyway, Tomoki is with him."

"That's true," Izumi said, laying down as well. "Tomoki's grown up. He's stronger, and he still has parts of that sweet little boy." She smiled, staring straight up at the dark sky. Kouichi sat down, back against a tree as he waited anxiously for their return. He knew he was a bit on edge lately and tried to convince himself it was nothing, but he still couldn't shake the feeling that they weren't alone.

---------------------------------------------------

Aquilamon wandered through the snow, keeping his sharp eyes peeled for any sign of life while his mind went over recent events. Things didn't seem to be going so well, and he knew he had to hurry, but really, how was he supposed to figure out where they got to in the frozen wasteland while being blinded by snow? He paused, shaking the small amount of accumulated snow off his back in frustration and shivered as the cold penetrated his feathers. Cold and most birds do not mix, nor does it work with digimon based off those birds, and he was _not_ a penguin, unlike some people.

"Aquilamon, are you there?" A voice spoke through the purple crystal hanging around his neck, making him jump slightly before hurrying to reply.

"Yes, my lord, I'm here. I've seen no sign of them yet."

"Of course not. We just received reports that they moved on. Head for the Dark Continent at once!"

"Right away, my lord!" This was excellent news; no more freezing his tail feathers off here. He took off flying immediately with renewed effort. He had to find them, and fast.

---------------------------------------------------

"Alright, Tomoki, let's go back now." Takuya said, stopping.

"Are you sure?" Tomoki asked.

"Yeah. This is far enough. If there was anything bad out here, it probably would have attacked or something by now." Tomoki nodded and the two started back, unaware of the glinting pair of blue eyes watching them from the darkness.

---------------------------------------------------

They were up again early the next morning, or at least what was assumed to be morning, and moving on, taking more time to examine everything, eventually coming out of the forest area. Occasionally they found another spot with another memory attached, but never wasted much time in any of them; after all, none of them were particularly good, and there was never any sign of a shrine. Some time of fruitless searching passed before Izumi sighed.

"This is taking forever. We need some kind of clue or something."

"Tell me about it," Junpei agreed. "We don't even know for sure it's in this area."

"It has to be. What other place do you know of that's so in tune with darkness?" Tomoki asked.

"There's the Dark Area, for one."

"Well, there's that, but I doubt a shrine dedicated to one of the Legendary Warriors would be where Lucemon himself was imprisoned…" Takuya said. "And even if it were, it's not like there are any more big gaping holes leading down there now." He paused. "At least, there better not be."

"I think it makes perfect sense though. What better place to protect something than a place no one would dare go?"

"You both make good points, but as much as I'd like to visit the Dark Area, it's not there," Kouichi said. Everyone turned to look at him.

"Do you know where it is now then?" Izumi asked hopefully.

"No, sorry. I can't locate it exactly, but…it's kind of hard to explain. I just have this feeling; it's around here somewhere."

"Well, you heard the man!" Takuya said. "Let's get back to work!" As they turned to resume their search, however, there was a shadow and a flash of red, and a large, familiar hawk-like digimon landed before them.

"Finally! I found you!" The digimon exclaimed as the group jumped back in surprise before diving into defensive mode, D-Tectors in hand.

"Aquilamon!"

"What do you want now?" Izumi asked in annoyance. The digimon opened his beak to answer, but Junpei cut him off.

"Don't bother, bird-brain, we know you're here to cause trouble. Well, you can just forget it, because there's no way we're losing to you! You just caught us at a bad time last time."

"Please, wait!" Aquilamon pleaded. "I've renounced my alliance with Lucemon – I don't want any trouble."

"And how do we know that's the truth?" Takuya asked skeptically.

"You can't know that for sure," Aquilamon admitted, "but I do wish to join your cause. I can't bear to be with them anymore. Many in their army, including a certain lieutenant you all know, are fighting against their wills; don't think that so many digimon would swear their alliance, or even think of doing so, in the first place. It's painful to watch so many good digimon – and people – have their minds warped into loyal servants. The things they want them to do – wanted me to do…" By the end of that, he was looking so forlorn that they felt a twinge of doubt and turned to look at each other.

"Well, what do you guys think?" Takuya asked.

"His story is very unlikely," Bokomon said. "His kind is known for being incredibly loyal."

"Yeah, I don't think I buy that…" Izumi said.

"A loyalty can only go so far past one's comfort zone before it falters," Aquilamon said. "Even we have such a point. I promise you, I am genuinely sorry for everything I did before; attacking you and others, carrying your brother off to Lucemon…"

"You did that?" Kouichi said, eyes widening as he stared at the digimon.

"Yes…the whole 'ambush by SkullScorpiomon' bit wasn't part of the plan, but yes." Kouichi looked away upon receiving his answer. If it weren't for this person…. Everyone else, after watching this, glared at Aquilamon.

"I can't believe you!" Junpei said. "First you cause this whole mess by dragging Kouji off, then you come to us saying you're sorry?!"

"Yeah, that seems kinda, you know…messed up!" Takuya agreed.

"That's enough," Kouichi said, looking back up. He took a few steps forward, looking directly at the nervous Aquilamon. "Aquilamon…thank you." He said, successfully making everyone stare at him like he was nuts.

"Kouichi, why are you _thanking _him of all things?" Junpei asked. "If it weren't for him-"

"Kouji would have died." Kouichi interrupted. "If Aquilamon hadn't caught him when he fell, then who would've? True, I'd rather him not have taken Kouji to Lucemon, but that's better than him being dead."

"That's a good point," Tomoki agreed, though it didn't make the situation much better.

"So...do you believe me then?" Aquilamon asked hesitantly.

"I'm sorry. It's just not worth the risks to let you come with us and gain information until-" Kouichi trailed off and stared past Aquilamon, his eyes becoming wide again.

"Kouichi?" Takuya asked, walking over and frowning at the zoned boy. He waved a hand in front of Kouichi's face when he got no response. "Hey, earth to Kouichi, do you copy? You okay?"

"I think I know where it is," Kouichi said, coming back to attention and looking at the others.

"You do? That's great!" Izumi said.

"What brought this on all of a sudden?" Junpei asked.

"No time - let's go!" Kouichi took off running, and the rest of the group decided not to ask as they followed suit, leaving behind a very confused Aquilamon. They raced across the barren ground for a few minutes before coming to a stop at the edge of a large ravine, within which lay worn, pillar-like mountains. The mountains were hollowed into simple establishments that didn't appear to have been occupied in a long while, one of them being completely destroyed. "Me and Kouji met up here once, after the Sakkakumon incident... The temple must be around here somewhere."

"You sure?" Kouichi nodded.

"Definitely. I remember, even now, that the darkness was strong here."

"Could this be that place..?" Bokomon murmured, staring at it with widening eyes.

"What place?" Neemon asked.

"The ancient city of darkness, of course! Why am I not surprised you don't know?" Bokomon sighed. "Oh well, I needed to explain anyway. This city was only rumored to have existed in the ancient times, a place where digimon of the dark element used to live in harmony with one another. Unfortunately, this land was seized by the fouler side of the element, and eventually the city crumbled and the digimon of darkness scattered. Like most legends, the exact details were lost, but it was quite the tragedy…"

"Well, there's no doubt in my mind then," Takuya said. "But how are we supposed to get down there?"

"Over here," Kouichi said, leading them to a slight incline. They carefully made their way down and walked among the buildings, keeping an eye out for one that could be the temple.

"How are we going to know which building it is?" Izumi asked.

"It should have a special kind of door with pictures of the warrior, in this case Loewemon, on it." Tomoki said. "At least, that's what the entrance to mine looked like."

"But…none of these buildings have a door," Takuya commented, frowning.

"Well, the temple should. It wouldn't be very smart to leave a special place like that wide open to the public, and these doors are special; you couldn't break them down if you wanted to, unless you're a Legendary Warrior, of course."

"I guess you're right… Hey Kouichi, get any more ideas from here?" Kouichi closed his eyes and nodded.

"Yes. It's a bit harder to get specifics here, but it's located over there somewhere." He said, pointing in said direction.

"Well, this should be easy then!" Junpei said, taking couple steps in that direction before a deep, raspy voice spoke out, carrying with it a black, abnormal mist.

"Not so fast…"

"Okay, maybe I spoke too soon," Junpei said, stepping back as the mist billowed up and shaped itself loosely into the image of a large lion, eyes burning red.

"Why do you, mere humans of all things, dare to enter my territory?" It, or rather he from the voice, demanded, his tone making it clear he was displeased.

"Uh, sorry, big guy, but we're on important save-the-world business, you know." Takuya said before looking over at Kouichi. "Hey Kouichi, you forgot to mention the big cat."

"There was nobody else here when Kouji and I came," Kouichi said.

"This place has been mine for more than a millennia," The lion said, examining them. "You're the Chosen Ones, aren't you?"

"If by Chosen you mean the Legendary Warriors, then that's us alright," Takuya said. "We need to get to the Temple of Darkness for Kouichi here." The lion looked at said boy in a way that made Kouichi uncomfortable for a few long seconds before speaking again.

"Kouichi, hmm? Thank you for coming. I've been hoping to meet my heir face to face soon."

"Heir? So you're-?!" Kouichi gasped.

"That's right. I am the Ancient Warrior of Darkness, AncientSphinxmon. I was forced into dormancy by a seal the old inhabitants of this land placed, but fortunately, you and AncientGarurumon's Chosen broke it during your fight. Speaking of which, I don't sense his presence among you. Is he dead?"

"No, just…occupied." AncientSphinxmon sighed.

"Oh well, I could hope…"

"What do you mean by that?! It's a good thing he's alive!" The digimon's eyes, though only flames, seemed to harden at this.

"No, Kouichi. The light is our polar opposite, our enemy, and must be extinguished. You understood that once. You had so much potential then… Oh well, all is not lost. I'll just be taking back the Spirits now; you've tainted them enough."

"You're not taking them back," Kouichi said, putting a defensive hand over the pocket the D-Tector was concealed.

"You dare to tell me what I can't do with the objects I created from my own being?"

"There's no way you're the real Ancient Warrior; the real one used darkness for good and valued the alliance with the other elements, even light. I'm not going to let these Spirits be used for evil again!"

"How do you know I honored them? I only agreed to the alliance to get that annoying brat Lucemon out of my way, and look how that turned out! And you know that I am the real Warrior of Darkness, unless you're too blind to acknowledge that. The Spirits themselves should be telling you."

"I've had enough of your yammering," Junpei said. "You aren't the Ancient Warrior!...right, Kouichi?"

"I can't deny that I feel something between us," Kouichi said, "but even if he is telling the truth, I'm not giving the Spirits of Darkness up."

"All the same to me," AncientSphinxmon said. "I'll just take them by force." With that, he pounced, forcing the group to dive out of the way and prepare for battle.

"Execute, Spirit Evolution! Loewemon!"

"Kazemon!"

"Beetlemon!"

"Execute, Fusion Evolution! Aldamon!"

"Daipenmon!"

"So, you all wish to die now, hmm?" AncientSphinxmon growled, glaring at them. "Fine. I could use the warm up." He swept his paw out in front of him, sending waves of darkness to buffet the majority of the group. The two that didn't get hit, Kazemon and Daipenmon, began a counterattack while the others were busy recovering, sending out wind and ice at the dark digimon. AncientSphinxmon snarled and sent a dark beam at them from his mouth, knocking them both back. By this time the others were ready to jump in, and fire, thunder and darkness, soon rejoined by wind and ice, went flying, scorching and otherwise damaging everything in the area as Bokomon and Neemon ducked behind a piece of the crumbling ruins.

Loewemon and Beetlemon raced in together, striking out with spear and fist, while Aldamon and Kazemon flew around shooting fire and kicking at their foe and Daipenmon continued firing off colored blasts from his twin popsicles. None of this seemed to really do much more than make AncientSphinxmon angrier, however, and he reached up a shadowy paw and swatted Aldamon and Kazemon out of the sky before the darkness around him began to billow up menacingly.

"Necrotic Wave!" He called, and the darkness exploded outwards into several strands, each going for and hitting one of the hybrid digimon. As they were occupied with this, he dashed through the darkness and pounced on Daipenmon, clawing and knocking the weapons out of his hands and making him flinch in pain from his sprained wrist. AncientSphinxmon turned just in time to catch Aldamon's attack, instead biting the Warrior of Flame and tossing him aside into one of the buildings, where he slumped to the ground.

"Thunder Fist!" Beetlemon yelled, jumping at and successfully hitting the ancient digimon in the side and in turn got blasted away with more darkness. Loewemon raced in, spear poised to attack, and AncientSphinxmon attempted to claw him as well, but Loewemon managed to dodge and attack, but his luck ran out after a couple hits and he found himself flying and landing painfully on the ground.

"It's Duskmon all over again!" Neemon whimpered, cowering behind the rock.

"Duskmon…the greater Warrior of Darkness." AncientSphinxmon said nostalgically as he walked over towards Loewemon.

"Look out, Kouichi! Get up!" Bokomon yelled, but Loewemon was too slow to respond and was pinned to the ground under a heavy, dark paw.

"Why do you protest against it so? Can you honestly deny that Duskmon was the better of the two? Ever wonder why you became so weak after you 'purified' the Spirits?" The digimon applied pressure, and Loewemon winced and glared up at him.

"Duskmon was corrupt…I wasn't me, all I could do was destroy things and people…"

"Yes, and it was wonderful. The final, feeble cries of the digimon that were not worthy subjects, taken as supplements to your own already grand power; the fear and surprise in their eyes…"

"That's not true power! That's just..sick!" AncientSphinxmon's burning red eyes seemed to harden, and he lifted his paw and batted Loewemon with enough force to send him flying again.

"So pathetic…I'm ashamed at what you've made of my Spirits. It's high time they've been restored to their proper forms." The dark digimon began to stalk forth again, and it was clear he wasn't going to toy around anymore.

"Kouichi!" Kazemon cried, flying in again to defend but was promptly swatted away by his tail. AncientSphinxmon was soon upon Loewemon, darkness beginning to billow up again as he prepared to strike a final blow. He opened his mouth to initiate the attack, and Loewemon flinched, bracing himself.

"Stealth Quarrel!" The Warrior of Darkness opened his eyes in surprise as a different voice called out and watched as AncientSphinxmon, who was equally shocked, flinched as he was struck by a barrage of red feathers. While the ancient one was recovering, the digimon responsible for the intrusion flew in and latched onto Loewemon's arm with his talons, carrying him out of the way of immediate danger. "Are you all right?"

"A-Aquilamon!" Loewemon stuttered. He had forgotten all about the feathered digimon in all the hype, and either way, this was unexpected. "What are you doing here?!"

"We'll go over that later; right now we have more important things to deal with." Loewemon nodded.

"Right. We need to finish this now."

"A regular digimon dares interfere now?" AncientSphinxmon growled, glaring at the two. "And just what do you think _you_ can do, if the so-called 'Legendary Warriors' themselves couldn't put up a half-decent fight?"

"Don't underestimate us so, Ancient of Darkness," Aquilamon said. "It's a fatal flaw, you know." He looked to Loewemon, who nodded, understanding the signal, and attacked.

"Shadow Meteor!" Loewemon called, firing a laser of powerful darkness from the lion's head on his chest. Aquilamon then took careful aim, opening his mouth and launching his own attack into the mix.

"Blast Rings!" He cried, sending circles of energy around Loewemon's laser. The attack nailed the overconfident dark one in the face, causing him to let out a roar, the first real sign of pain. The rest of the group, having regained some strength, stood now and took their chance, unleashing the best of their attacks. AncientSphinxmon's roar grew more pained, and he lowered his head wearily, though the fire of his eyes was not dulled in the least as he glared at them all.

"Gah…damn this form… I cannot stay here much longer…" He growled, panting. "Do not think you have won, though! You cannot get rid of us, no matter what!" With that, the darkness that made up his body drifted apart in a mist that soon dissolved into nothingness. His parting words left them all slightly confused and unable to feel completely victorious, but, as odd as that was, it was time to turn to the next issue on their list, this being the new arrival. Aquilamon lowered his head slightly as everyone turned their eyes to him, looking at them with a mixture of repentance and hope.

"I'm sorry, I know you didn't want me to follow, but what else was I supposed to do when you just ran off all of a sudden, especially in that direction? I knew there were some odd things going on over here, and I just wanted to be sure…"

"Hey, don't worry about it, Aquilamon," Aldamon said, reverting back into Takuya. "It's a good thing you came after all."

"Yeah, you really saved me back there." Loewemon agreed.

"So, you aren't mad?" Aquilamon asked, lifting his head slightly.

"How could we be after you did something like that?" Kazemon asked, smiling as she reverted back into her normal form as well.

"Yeah, I was skeptical before, but I have to agree." Beetlemon said, going back as well.

"So, I guess this means we'll give you a chance in our group after all," Takuya said, looking to the others for approval, which was received by all.

"This is great," Tomoki, having already gone back to human form, said, walking over and smiling as well, though he held his wrist which was obviously not feeling too good. "We need all the help we can get, as I guess you can already tell!"

"Thank you all," Aquilamon said, looking as if a large weight had been lifted from his shoulders. "I won't let you down."

"Hey Tomoki, how's your wrist?" Izumi asked, noticing the way he held it.

"Oh, it just hurts a little…I'm fine though!" Tomoki answered with somewhat forced cheerfulness before allowing himself to look a little downcast. "Sorry…I have my Fusion Form, but I'm still not being very helpful, am I?"

"It's fine, something like that would be enough to slow any of us down," Takuya said. "And anyway, you're doing fine even with it. Just make sure to take more care of it though, got it? We don't need it getting any worse."

"Right."

"Now that that's established," Junpei said, "what are we going to do now? If that psycho really is the Ancient Warrior of Darkness, then I don't think going into the temple would be a very smart thing to do now…"

"Yeah, that's right," Tomoki said. "It's the Ancient Warrior who gives you your power."

"What is this 'temple'?" Aquilamon asked, tilting his head to the side curiously.

"We'll explain later; we need to think about where to go next now." Takuya said.

"We have to go into the Temple of Darkness," Loewemon, having remained in his digimon form, said.

"How hard did that guy hit you?" Junpei asked. "If it was hard as it looked, then I think that should've given you some clue that we can't do that!"

"For starters, we've already come all this way, and I don't plan on turning back now when something that can help our cause is so nearby. And, perhaps even more importantly, I must help him. I don't know what's been going on around here, but I do know that the Ancient Warrior of Darkness is in trouble. I can't deny who he is, but there was definitely something off about him, a similar pain as what I felt before as Duskmon, and what I felt with Talismon."

"So you're saying that one of the Ancient Warriors is being controlled?" Izumi summarized. Loewemon nodded.

"But the Ancient Warriors are incredibly powerful!" Takuya protested. "Who has the strength to corrupt one of them?!"

"Who had the strength to corrupt Kouji?" Loewemon asked.

"You're saying Lucemon did it?" Takuya asked doubtfully.

"The idea is still somewhat sketchy, but no matter how it happened, I'm positive that he's being controlled, and as a descendant of Darkness, it's my duty to put an end to this."

"Alright, I get you. I guess it won't be that bad with all of us. We're prepared for it now, and he's already weakened, right?" They all nodded in agreement. "So, now it's back to just figuring out where the temple is…."

"Hey, you said the temple would have a door, right?" Izumi asked suddenly.

"Yeah, why?" Tomoki asked.

"Because I think I see it over there!" She pointed to a rather small building, unique in three ways; it seemed to be completely handmade, it wasn't yet crumbling under time's effects, and lastly, it had a door with several things that were too far away to see clearly etched into it.

"That must be it!" Tomoki declared, and the group hurried over to indeed find the carvings were of Loewemon, the Symbol of Darkness, and several odd markings, including what looked like words, as well as a slot near the center with connecting paths carved all across the door.

"This is it, alright," Takuya said. "But how do we open it? I don't see a handle or anything."

"The writing on the door tells you how." Tomoki said. "Each one has its own specific instructions."

"Okay then, Bokomon, what do we have to do?"

"I..this is quite embarrassing to admit, but I can't seem to make heads or tails of this text!" Bokomon said, staring, flustered, at the writing.

"You can't read it?" Loewemon asked in confusion. "It looks fine to me." Bokomon turned his surprised stare onto him.

"What? But how can you read it and I not?!"

"It's weird, isn't it?" Tomoki stated. "You see, this strange writing is made so that only the specified Legendary Warrior can read it, I suppose as a defensive purpose of some sort in case someone else figured out the riddle and managed to replicate the requirements somehow." Junpei nodded.

"Well, Kouichi, don't keep us in the dark. What do we have to do? Read it to us." He said. Loewemon nodded and began the recitation.

"_Legendary Warrior of darkness pure,_

_If strength is what thy seeks, then thou must open the door_

_Thou already possess the means,_

_For the mighty tail of thy ancestor is the key"_

"'The tail of thy…your ancestor'?" Takuya repeated in confusion. "What the heck is that supposed to mean?" Loewemon shook his head, also seeming confused.

"I don't know. How am I supposed to know what the tail is if I don't even know the Ancient Warrior of Darkness past his corrupted form? I don't think I have anything that looks like that tail…"

"Well, your human and beast forms are based off of the original Ancient One, so let's go from there." Bokomon said.

"You think JagerLoewemon has the same kind of tail?" Izumi suggested. "Because maybe it means that."

"It has to have something to do with Loewemon," Tomoki said.

"But Loewemon doesn't have a tail!" Junpei said in frustration. "And what's up with the tail being called 'mighty'? Tails are useless unless they're big, long or spiked or something…which, maybe the real Warrior's is, but…"

"Maybe that's it," Loewemon said suddenly.

"What's it?"

"It's talking about something that's tail-like and has potential in battle, right?" The others nodded, still seeming confused aside from Tomoki, whose eyes lit up in realization.

"You use your spear in battle, and, now that you mention it, it does look kind of like JagerLoewemon's tail! It would probably fit perfectly in that slot, too!"

"Right! Here goes nothing! Shadow Lance!" Loewemon thrust the tip of his spear into the slot, which slid in easily, and gathered darkness into it, allowing it to flow into the connecting channels. There was a small flash, and the darkness drained away, but there was no real visible change which left the majority of the group looking on in confusion.

"It...didn't work." Takuya stated.

"Oh, it's working," Tomoki said, watching Loewemon's wide-eyed and somewhat pained expression.

"Hey, Loewemon, are you okay?" Junpei asked the unresponsive Warrior. "Tomoki, what's going on?" Tomoki shook his head, seeming a bit worried.

"I didn't even stop to think about this… The Ancient Warrior of your temple has to grant you entrance, and by attempting to gain the rights to enter the temple they are allowed to enter your consciousness."

"So in other words, Kouichi just let that corrupt psycho into his head?!" Takuya exclaimed. Tomoki nodded solemnly. "Man, this is just great! Hey, Kouichi, are you okay?! Snap out of it!"

"Can you hear us?" Izumi asked. "We're right here, don't let him get to you! Hang on and we'll-we'll-oh, I don't know what to do!" She looked desperately to the others, who didn't seem to have much more of a clue, when they heard Loewemon give a small gasp and pull away from the opening door, bending over slightly as he took a moment to catch his breath.

"He-he's here, alright," Loewemon breathed. "He's waiting…at the bottom…"

"He's letting you in?" Junpei asked, somewhat surprised. "That's awfully nice of him to give you a chance like that."

"He's overconfident. He wants to deal with me face to face."

"Well, if he wants a fight, then we'll be sure to give him one he'll never forget!" Takuya said. "Come on, let's go!" He started for the entrance, but instead of walking in and onto the stairway, he bumped into an invisible wall which pulsed with a deep purple aura when he touched it. "Eh? What's the big idea here? I thought we were allowed in!"

"That's not right," Loewemon said, frowning. He reached out to touch the wall, but unlike Takuya, he was allowed to pass through without a problem. Everyone else tried it out as well, but it was obvious what was going on.

"Only the Warrior of Darkness may pass through, it seems," Bokomon said. "They certainly didn't bypass any precautions with this."

"Well this sucks." Junpei said. "Guess we'll have to move on now after all."

"No. I'm not turning back." Loewemon said.

"What?!" Takuya exclaimed. "You've got to be kidding! There's just no way!"

"Takuya is right!" Izumi agreed. "We couldn't defeat him when we were all together! Trying to face off with him by yourself is suicide!"

"I have to try," Loewemon said. "There's no way I can leave now, with him in that condition."

"You can't throw your life away for something like this!" Bokomon said. "We need you, Kouichi; Kouji needs you!" Loewemon flinched slightly at the mention of his brother's name, but it was obvious his resolve remained strong.

"I'm sorry, but there's no avoiding this." He stepped through the force field before they could hold him back, pausing on the other side without looking back. "I promise, one way or another, I will make it out of here and help you guys finish Lucemon…_with _my Fusion Form." With that, he descended the steps into darkness, ignoring the desperate pleas of the others for him to turn back.

Meanwhile, having watched the whole scene from the shadows, a pair of blue eyes slid shut as their owner pulled back, taking in this information and releasing a knowing whisper that reached only her own ears;

"So, it has begun…"

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There it is. I'll try not to let delays like that happen again. ^^; Hope I didn't miss anything. –is too lazy to look over it again to make sure- Eh, just having a moment now. Tell me if there's something that doesn't make sense or something, I'll fix it later…

I know I'm babbling a lot, but one more thing…I am by no means an artist-I can even openly admit my writing is waaay better than my drawings-but if you want you can go over to my deviantArt and check out the sketch I did of Talismon. I wasn't going to put it up, but I got bored, so yeah...it's just there. Same name over there(Mniya), and I may or may not put more sketches of other characters as they come along. The picture really ishorrible, being all flat-looking along with several mishaps, and I was too lazy to try it again, so…maybe you should just stick with whatever picture you've got going in your own mind, and if you do go, remember to bring the brain bleach. Seriously.


	8. Forsaken Darkness

Not much to say here this time except I hope you like it. I'm in a bit of a hurry now; I stayed up way past my bedtime to wrap this chapter up. Took forever to figure out what to do with it, but I made much better time than the last chapter, so I'm happy.

Disclaimer: I told you, I do not own Digimon Frontier, or anything else Digimon! Sheesh…

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Loewemon walked through the temple's passageways, feeling somewhat paranoid as his eyes flitted to every passing shadow. Its design was much like your average medieval castle, being made of smooth, deep gray stones that were in surprisingly good condition, and every few feet there were torches with dim blue flames resting in elegant black holders, giving off barely enough light to see by. This left many spaces covered in shadow, and while it was fitting for a shrine made in honor of darkness, it didn't help ease Kouichi's nerves. Though he saw no one, it was impossible to shake the feeling of being watched, and considering the way AncientSphinxmon was able to meld into the darkness, he didn't doubt that just that was happening. The corrupt ancient had said he'd wait at the bottom, but Loewemon remained on guard, expecting a surprise attack at any moment…like it would really matter with a master of shadows.

Yes, he knew very well how stupid, suicidal, even, this was, but there was no way he would be able to just leave in good conscience. He knew the others were right, and that it would be safer to turn back now, but while doing important business such as they were, you had to take chances like this sometimes…right? As he marched on, he felt his nerve begin to waver as the situation became clearer in his mind. They almost died out there in the fight with all of them present, so how could he really expect to win? True, some sort of miracle always seemed to happen to save them in tight spots before, but this wasn't some cartoon where everything goes right for the good guys. He didn't know that things would work out here; what _could _happen to make this possible? The odds were not in his favor, and…

"Kouji…" And where would that leave the others if he messed up here? What about his brother..?

"_Still going on about the Light, are you?"_ Loewemon jumped in surprise at the voice, weaved from darkness, and struggled to pinpoint the source unsuccessfully. _"Don't bother looking for me." _He could almost hear the eye roll as the voice went on. _"I'm communicating with you telepathically."_

"AncientSphinxmon…? Where-how do you know-?!"

"_I can do many things here, on my sacred grounds. I see all and know all that goes on. You cannot hide from me, cannot defeat me. Even you must realize this. So why accept my invitation?"_

"I… It's my responsibility as the Warrior of Darkness!"

"_You are no more than an insect leeching off a greater power that does not support you. You have no rights to call yourself a Warrior; you're much too weak! You did have some potential as Duskmon, but even then you were not worthy, letting yourself get beaten like that."_

"I'm not weak! I'm stronger than you'll ever be so long as your heart remains tainted!"

"_You act so confident, and yet even you don't believe your words. But no matter, feel free to come and try. And don't worry about him; destroying the Light is high on my priority list for when I get out of here, so you'll be together again soon."_ Loewemon narrowed his eyes, glaring at a shadow in place of the absent speaker.

"I don't understand you. Why do you insist on being an enemy to everyone?"

"_Isn't it obvious? We all have different views. You believe that all should just live on as they wish in peace, and Lucemon wants absolute rule over all."_

"And what do _you _want? Rule in place of Lucemon?"

"_And be a tyrant over a kingdom of unworthy weaklings, living out my days in some palace while the other digimon plan a revolt? I don't think so. That would be too much of a pain with too little reward." _Loewemon frowned in confusion.

"Then what?"

"_It's simple; I want to destroy all of creation."_

"Why?! That's stupid! If you destroy everything, what's left for you?! You'll be alone in a desolate world, if not dead yourself in the end!"

"_When did I say I would be alone?"_

"That was kind of implied when you said 'destroy all of creation'…"

"_I suppose, but that doesn't mean I can't bring about a rebirth of sorts if I feel like it, all variables under my control of course."_

"That's exactly what Lucemon wanted to do though!"

"_Yes, he had the right idea in the beginning…like you, he is a failed experiment, a rebellious vessel. It is obvious after all his losses that there is no hope for him, or any already existing being, so it's time to step things up a notch…"_

"What do you mean by that now?! Lucemon, a hopeless vessel? 'Stepping it up a notch'? Just what are you going to do?!" Loewemon heard the sigh in his head as AncientSphinxmon continued, sounding increasingly bored.

"_My, you're so full of questions…"_

"It's not my fault your answers raise more than they resolve."

"_Touché. No matter though. I grow bored of explaining, and you'll be dead soon anyway." _

"Tell me what you mean!" Loewemon demanded. Silence. "AncientSphinxmon!" He waited a moment then growled in frustration as his questions remained unanswered. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he got the feeling that this was a more serious problem than he had initially thought and that he had to find a way to set it right…part of which entailed getting that information. "Fine, don't tell me. I'll find out soon enough." With that, he pressed on with bolstered determination, it becoming more apparent just how important this was.

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"It's been a while since he went in. I wonder if he's alright…" Takuya wondered aloud, staring at the entrance with concern. The door had closed not long after Kouichi entered, and while this didn't change anything for them, this meant he was sealed inside until he completed his trial. After giving up on him coming back, they had been waiting anxiously outside for his return and making little conversation, most of which consisted of filling Aquilamon in on a few details about their mission. Though they let him into the group, they still did make sure to keep an eye on him, as is to be expected when an enemy, or former enemy, is present.

"Of course he's alright; he's Kouji's brother, the Warrior of Darkness! I'd almost feel sorry for that old guy when Kouichi gets his hands on him." Junpei said, trying futilely to convince everyone, including himself.

"I don't really know what Kouji is like as himself," Aquilamon said, "but he seemed to be quite a valiant boy. Kouichi…he's like that too?"

"Oh yeah, they both have the whole package; skill, valor, and angst! The difference is that one is decidedly grumpier than the other, but we manage to work around it." Junpei's light-hearted responses, while somewhat uplifting in this dark time, were not enough to really make a difference, and the moment was soon drowned by the underlying tensions.

"I wish we could at least have some way of knowing if he's okay," Izumi complained. "Just standing here is driving me crazy!"

"Then allow me to help alleviate the problem." They all looked over to see a digimon that was much like a lion cub sitting upon one of the large stones of the ruins, watching them calmly with cold blue eyes.

"Huh? How long have you been there?!" Takuya demanded.

"Long enough." She leapt down silently from her perch, the large ruby dangling from her golden choker glinting slightly in the dim light.

"Liollmon!" Bokomon breathed, staring at the other digimon.

"You two know each other?" Tomoki asked, glancing between Bokomon's surprised expression and Liollmon's unchanging one.

"Hardly! Her species is an exceedingly rare one! This is the first time I've come across her kind. The few that are left are known to be rather territorial, so entering their land guarantees a visit from one."

"What's with all the possessive cats?" Junpei asked, scowling. "Listen, Liollmon, if you're here to attack us for trespassing, then just go chill out. We need to be here now for everyone's sakes, including yours, and I've had my fill of angry kitties for today."

"Thank you for that pointless information," Liollmon said emotionlessly before going on. "First of all, that territorial issue played a large part in why my kind is so scarce, and I thus conquered it long ago. Secondly, I am on your side, and after observing you for a while I have decided that you could use my assistance; at the rate you're going now, you'll never become strong enough in time."

"Gee, thank _you_ for that confidence booster," Takuya said sarcastically. "What kind of assistance have you decided to grace us with?"

"It wouldn't happen to have anything to do with Kouichi, would it?" Izumi asked. Liollmon shook her head.

"No, the Child of Darkness is on his own, as you all shall be during your trials. It's a regulation placed on all Shrines, so you may prove you can handle yourself."

"So does that mean you're joining our group?" Tomoki asked.

"Momentarily. It would seem you are in need of some navigational help, so I'm here to fill that spot."

"Thank you, but we already have a navigator, namely me!" Bokomon said. Liollmon turned her icy stare to him.

"Yes, but do you know where any of the other Temples are?"

"You can show us where they are?" Takuya asked, perking up.

"One."

"Which one?" Junpei asked.

"Guess," She said, sitting and pointedly sticking her chest out. All eyes fell onto the ruby, and the answer became apparent.

"My Temple?" Takuya stated, and she nodded. "Alright! That would be great!"

"Are you the Guardian of Fire?" Tomoki asked.

"Do I look like I'm aligned with fire?" She retorted.

"Well, no, but…how do you know this then?"

"You know, it's not wise to question someone when they graciously decide to help you," She said, making it apparent that she wasn't about to tell.

"I guess, but it's also not wise to listen to just anyone because they claim to know something. For all we know, you could be on Lucemon's side." Izumi said.

"I've never heard of an affiliate like her, if that means anything," Aquilamon said.

"Lucemon and I have nothing to do with each other." Liollmon said, eyes narrowed. "Just trust me when I say the Guardians aren't the only ones who know about this kind of thing. Now if you don't mind, I think we've wasted enough time here. It's time to move on."

"Well, I guess that makes sense. I'll take my chances if it means straightening this mess out sooner. But what about Kouichi? We can't exactly leave him, you know!" Takuya said.

"Yeah, how's he going to know where to find us?" Junpei asked.

"Don't worry about him; he's the Chosen Warrior of Darkness, a dominant element."

"Yeah, but we're all 'dominant elements'. What does that even have to do with anything?"

"It has everything to do with this. I won't deny that you all are important, but I think many will agree with me when I say Light and Darkness are the two main ones. They are the ultimate of opposites, managing to be both nothing like the other and yet the same. Together they govern time and space, the very fabric of all creation. Without those two, nothing could exist. The rest of you simply make their creation habitable. My point…as a wielder of such power, he should be just fine on his own for a little while, and the rest of us need to be moving this show along before the other major piece of this puzzle screws everything up."

"I guess you have a point," Izumi said at last. "Kudamon himself did say it was possible other individuals knew something."

"Alright, you win, Liollmon," Takuya said. "Lead away." Liollmon nodded and silently padded away, the rest of the group following after casting a last doubtful glance at the Temple of Darkness.

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Loewemon leaned against the wall, peering cautiously around the corner as he tried to calculate a plan to get by this room. There were several pillars scattered about, casting long shadows, and moving randomly through them was the real problem; a small levitating eye of sorts. It didn't look dangerous, but it was precisely this lack of caution that caused the large crater in the wall next to him…

Taking a deep, quiet breath, he decided what he had to do and ran, putting his feet down softly as he could, and ducked behind the nearest pillar just in time. Heart racing, he waited a few agonizing moments before peeking his head around to see where the silent sentry was now. Fortunately, it didn't seem to have noticed him and continued to drift about at a slow pace. He waited for his next chance, expecting it to turn and see him at any moment, before it finally began to drift away from him, allowing him enough time to move on to the next pillar.

He scanned for the next possible hiding place, but to his dismay the next pillar that would take him forward was much further from him than the other two had been, a bit too far for comfort. If he tried to make this one, he would be running a high chance of being caught, something he would _not _take pleasure in doing again. Gritting his teeth in frustration, he finally decided to go for it, moving swiftly along the wall and constantly glancing between the eye and the pillar. He focused on his distance, trying to keep calm; halfway point, almost there…and then the eye finally turned and looked directly at him. Loewemon froze in terror, squeezing his eyes shut as he waited…and waited… When nothing happened, he cracked open an eye to see that the diligent sentry had moved on as if it hadn't spotted the Warrior, and as he puzzled over this he realized that must've been it. There were no torches near him, leaving that spot in shadow, so he had managed to somehow blend in despite the yellow on his armor, something that could only be attributed to his element. Taking advantage of this realization, he crept along through the shadows at a slower pace, though he continued to use solid cover whenever possible since he didn't feel too confident in the darkness's ability to keep hiding him.

There were several more incidents that were rather close calls, such as almost running out from behind a pillar right in front of the eye and tripping over a loose stone, but finally he made it out of there and into another small passageway which led him into a smaller yet still moderate sized room. Darkness swirled all around, obscuring much of the far wall and all of the floor minus the area near the entrance, or at least what he thought was floor at first. He was quickly corrected when he tried to walk out on it only to have his foot go straight down into the pit that he found it to really be.

Frowning, Loewemon looked around the room in hopes of finding another exit only to be disappointed. Just as he got around to the possibility that he passed up where he was really supposed to go, however, something caught his eye. It wasn't a door, but a target hanging upon the opposite wall. It was never fully shown, only the occasional glimpse when the darkness moved to leave that part of the wall exposed, but that was enough to give him an idea of where it was located. He watched it intently for a while before feeling confident enough in his aim and letting loose his 'arrow'.

"Shadow Meteor!" The powerful beam of darkness exploded forth, pushing away the obscuring darkness so that he could watch as his shot hit dead center. He took a moment of satisfaction at this before watching in awe as his attack was absorbed by the target, and the pulsating energy flowed on into the wall, covering every general area before heading towards a single spot on the right side. Everywhere the energy went, the darkness formed streams as well as it followed after, swirling ominously like a tornado. It all centered over the spot the energy had gathered, simply hovering like this a moment before the lightly glowing darkness flashed, sending the rest of the darkness moving. Part of it pressed up against the wall, while the rest flowed from that location to touch the floor where Loewemon stood. As soon as it was in position, the energy exploded outwards with such intensity that he had to squint his eyes to watch as it ran over the darkness. When the process was finally over he looked to see that it had formed a bridge made of some black, solid but translucent substance, some darkness still seen drifting about just beneath the surface. On the wall where this path led was now a closed door made of the same substance, engraved with designs that were somehow both primitive and elegant.

Whoever created these Shrines certainly didn't hold back on the special effects. He cautiously put a foot out to test the path, still not quite trusting what had just been nothing more than darkness, and upon feeling solid it to be enough, walked carefully over to the other side, trying not to think about what would happen if he fell off. When he reached it and looked at the door, the markings were revealed to be characters he failed to understand and, amongst random carvings he could only assume to be depictions of darkness itself, was the image of JagerLoewemon.

"Slide Evolution! JagerLoewemon!" He said, immediately recalling what to do and reading the text as soon as the transformation was complete.

_Here now marks the halfway point_

_Only the true master of darkness may pass this door, but be warned -_

_In liquid shadow, thy greatest challenge still awaits_

JagerLoewemon scowled. This puzzle had thrown him off already. Didn't he have to complete the dungeon before being claimed a dark master? How was this even informing him of how to… He stopped his mental rant there, the answer jumping out in front of him. It wasn't talking about his rank, but rather his move.

"Dark Master!" He called, springing at the door with his large, conjured shadow clone. He managed to pass through it with ease, as if it weren't even there, but as he did so he felt the sinister presence touch his consciousness. It was brief, but he couldn't help flinch at this familiar, loathed contact. Upon landing, he began to pull himself back together, but his efforts failed when he opened his eyes to find nothing but black all around.

"_Welcome to the deepest part of my lair, Kouichi,"_ The voice said, and while still only an echo in his mind, it was more than enough to make him tense up. _"This will be the last place you'll ever see…or not see, in your case."_

"We'll see about that," JagerLoewemon growled, determined to be, or at least sound, confident.

"_Give up the act already and just admit that I was right. You're no Warrior of Darkness; you can't be when you fear your own element!"_

"I'm not afraid of the darkness!"

"_Don't you remember what I told you earlier? You can't hide anything from me. I can see your fear."_

"Fine, I'll admit I'm scared, but it's not exactly of the shadows; it's the fact that I'm being blinded by them while in a room with a corrupt psychopath that wants to kill me." AncientSphinxmon laughed.

"_As well you should be, but there's no real reason to worry about me yet. First you must make it through this labyrinth alive."_

"A labyrinth? How do you expect me to do something like that in the dark?"

"_Don't ask me; this is _your_ test, so me helping wouldn't make it fair."_

"And since when did you care about fairness?"

"_Hey, I haven't taken you by surprise and killed or otherwise harmed you, have I?" _AncientSphinxmon sniffed_. "Go on now, I'm getting tired of waiting." _JagerLoewemon sighed before slowly moving on, all senses strained as much as possible to make up for his lack of sight. Unfortunately, the only sense that seemed to be worth anything was touch since there was nothing to hear or smell that was of any known help. He soon bumped into a wall and felt around for the next possible direction best he could as a quadruped, feeling his irritation grow. This was going to take a while, and he failed to see the usefulness in wandering aimlessly in the dark…

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"Man, it's so hot here," Junpei complained, trudging up the increasingly steep mountain after the rest of the group. They had been following Liollmon for a while now, and every step took them further from the Temple of Darkness where, as far as they knew, Kouichi still lay, dead or alive, not to mention their trail grew more perilous. "I almost miss the snow now."

"Almost," Izumi agreed solemnly.

"Are we there yet?" Takuya asked for about the fifteenth time in exhaustion.

"Does it look like we're there yet?" Liollmon snapped. "Ask that again and I swear I'll claw your face off!"

"Well how am I supposed to know what the place looks like?"

"You should be able to sense it when we near it…but, considering the fact we are rather close now, you must not be very in tune with your element." Takuya frowned.

"How close are we?"

"About 'top of this mountain' close."

"Are you serious?! That can't be right! Kouichi sensed his from, like, a mile away!"

"I know. That's not surprising though, with AncientSphinxmon's current condition. The distress and darkness was thick there, something I'm sure even a fledging Chosen of Darkness could feel. It also helps that he'd been there before, so he had an idea of where to go when the signals were too confusing to follow, subconsciously or not." Takuya continued to scowl, seeming to be deep in thought as they proceeded.

"You want to remind me how exactly you know this stuff again?" Junpei asked, casting yet another uncertain glance at her. She sighed.

"After I surrendered my territory, I did a lot of traveling and stumbled across quite a few forgotten secrets about our past. There, will that suffice to stop your constant questions?"

"…no. Your attitude isn't very convincing." She just shook her head and kept walking, as did the rest of the group. "What? It isn't!" He yelled, running after them. They finally reached the top of the mountain, which they found to be a volcano, and went to stand near the edge of the wide, flat rim to gaze down at the churning lava that filled the deep hole over halfway.

"Well, that explains the heat," Izumi said, "but where's the Shrine? I don't see anything remotely like an entrance."

"Yeah, and I still don't sense anything…Liollmon, I think your directions were wrong." Takuya stated. They stared at the lava, not really noticing Liollmon's lack of a response as they thought about what to do next. Neemon, not being much of a thinker, got bored and looked around a bit when something, or rather someone, caught his eye.

"Whatcha doin', Liollmon? Playing tag? I like tag!" Everyone turned around at the oblivious digimon's comment, and found the lion like digimon frozen in place crouching behind Takuya, which of course put them all on alert.

"Yeah, would you mind explaining just what it is you're trying to do..?" Junpei asked. She glanced around the group, who were all now prepared for a fight, and straightened herself before complying.

"Trust me, this really is for the best. I didn't think you'd be so willing to do this on your own, so here I am. All I'm doing is giving the prophecy a little nudge in the right direction."

"Help the prophecy? By trying to kill me?" Takuya stated more than asked. "Well, you can forget it! I don't care what that prophecy said about us failing without Kouji, we are not going to let this 'unstoppable force' get the best of us!" She simply stared at him a moment like she didn't understand what he was saying before shaking her head and going on.

"Seriously? Ugh, if that's all you've got, then the situation is more hopeless than ever." She sighed. "I can't believe how little you understand, and that you made it this far like that!"

"What do you mean by that? What is there not to understand?" Bokomon asked. She gave them all an exasperated look.

"Figure it out for yourselves!" She snapped before taking advantage of their lowered defenses to launch herself into Takuya's chest. He gasped, the air getting knocked out of him, and struggled to regain his balance. She remained on him though, shifting her weight to counter his attempts and ultimately sent both human and digimon tumbling back into the burning lava.

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JagerLoewemon raced through the darkness, swerving to avoid the arrows, weave his way through spears that jutted from the floor, and deal other such obstacles with surprising ease. It had taken him a little while, but as he spent more time without his vision he became more and more accustomed to it, managing to get a sense for where things were as he felt himself grow closer to the dark. He dodged a couple bladed, swinging pendulums, darted around a corner, and continued down another path, increasing his speed as he noticed flickers of light at the end of the tunnel. He didn't really mind the darkness anymore, but he felt safer where he could see, not to mention the small fact that he had to hurry.

As he neared it he slowed, both giving his eyes time to adjust and giving him more time to assess the danger in that room. He finally walked into the room to find another closed door, and a large demonic digimon chained to the wall, carrying many of the characteristics IceDevimon had had, only this being was black skinned and more beastlike, possessing a dragon-like snout, a long tail, and a more hunched over stance than most humanoid creatures. The digimon looked up at his approach, red eyes staring straight into him.

"You've finally come…JagerLoewemon." He spoke, sounding both awed and relieved. JagerLoewemon stared hesitantly at the digimon, wondering why there was a digimon trapped in here that knew who he was before remembering Frigimon and what Tomoki had said about him. The demon went on, ignoring his moment of confusion. "Please, you must help me get free! I've been trapped down here for years by the tainted darkness!" JagerLoewemon nodded.

"I'll see what I can do." He walked over to the chains and went on to do the one thing he knew to try without any type of key or keyhole; attack. "Ebony Blast!" He said, firing bolts of darkness at each of the metal cuffs, successfully cracking them. The digimon took over from there, easily breaking through what was left of his bonds and stretching.

"Ah, much better," He said before looking back to JagerLoewemon. "Thank you for that. This is the part where I would normally comment on your naivety to try and discourage you and attack to access your skills, but taking our current situation into perspective, wasting our strength like that wouldn't be a good idea. By the way, I am Devidramon, the Guardian of this temple."

"I thought so. So, any idea where AncientSphinxmon is?" Devidramon nodded.

"Yes, he's right through that door. I'm going to assume you know about his current state."

"I do. Do you know what happened to him?"

"I believe so, but it's a long story, and I think we'd best free him first. Then maybe he can explain it himself. I'll just be opening the door now; hope you're ready for the fight of your life."

"Don't worry about me. What about you?"

"I'll be fighting too. There's too much at stake to risk letting you go in alone." Devidramon walked over to the door and lifted his long, red claws, which began to glow as he prepared the sequence. "Crimson Claw!" He called, swiftly raking them against the door in an intricate pattern executed so smoothly it almost looked like a dance. Moments after he finished it, the door sure enough slid open, revealing a large room where AncientSphinxmon stood waiting next to a statue that was also lion-like, though it bore a closer resemblance to JagerLoewemon than the Ancient next to it, giving further proof of the ongoing corruption.

"It's about time you got here," AncientSphinxmon yawned, getting up with a stretch. "I suppose you deserve more credit than I initially gave you for making it here at all though… No matter; it's now time for your ultimate challenge."

"I'm ready," JagerLoewemon said, and AncientSphinxmon smirked at him briefly before launching his first attack, pouncing at the two. They made it out of the way just in time as he crashed down into the spot where they had just stood, though JagerLoewemon was still hit by the shockwave of rippling darkness that was created.

"Dark Gale!" Devidramon said, firing beams from his eyes at AncientSphinxmon, who flinched and began swiping a large paw at the agile demon. JagerLoewemon recovered as they were doing this and hopped right back in, biting hard on the Ancient's tail. AncientSphinxmon hissed in pain, lashing his tail about wildly before finally swinging the younger Warrior into the Guardian, sending them both crashing back into a wall. He then attempted to crush them both with a large paw, but this time they both dodged unscathed and continued their assault.

"Ebony Blast!" JagerLoewemon called, running circles around the larger digimon as he fired off the dark shots. Devidramon shot a couple more blasts himself as he flew in before getting close enough to rake the Ancient's back with his long claws, gliding up to deliver a quick bite to one of his ears as well before darting out of the way of the lion's angry teeth. He didn't, however, get out of the way of AncientSphinxmon's tail in time and was struck by this, soon followed by JagerLoewemon as well.

"Necrotic Wave!" AncientSphinxmon called, sending waves of darkness to strike them both, dealing some heavy damage. "Give up! You can never hope to compete with my power!" He snarled.

"N-never!" JagerLoewemon snarled, staggering back to his feet and racing forth. "Dark Master!" He plowed through the corrupt digimon, dealing a bit of damage himself and catching a glimpse of Devidramon dragging himself over to the statue, holding a sphere of some sort. JagerLoewemon immediately sensed that whatever he was doing was important, so he redoubled his efforts, attempting to keep AncientSphinxmon focused solely on him. He ran straight up the larger lion's back and leapt off his head, making sure to dig in his claws as much as possible on his way. "Slide Evolution! Loewemon!" He shifted form in midair, swiveling his body back around to face his target and lifted his spear, gathering dark energy into it. "Shadow Lance!" He tossed the charged spear, gaining a direct hit and causing AncientSphinxmon to howl in pain as the object lodged in his snout.

"Now! Fire!" Devidramon called, pointing at the orb that was now resting in the mouth of the statue. Loewemon, understanding this cue, began charging energy as soon as his feet touched the ground and released it in a powerful beam that shot right underneath AncientSphinxmon to hit the small object.

"Wha-?!" AncientSphinxmon gasped in confusion, and then pain as the orb filled with swirling dark power. "Gah…you'll pay for that!" He snarled, knocking Loewemon aside before turning to unleash his fury on Devidramon. Loewemon heard the cry of pain and forced himself to scramble to his feet, looking intently in that direction just in time to see Devidramon get thrown back onto the floor and stop moving.

"No!" He cried, hurrying to regain AncientSphinxmon's attention before more damage could be done. With a few well timed acrobatics, he managed to gain both his spear and his enemy's attention and began to spar furiously with the lion, ignoring his own pain. Darkness, claw and spear flew, and just as Loewemon reached his breaking point and prepared once again for defeat, the attacks stopped coming. AncientSphinxmon had a paw lifted, ready to finish the younger Warrior, but the light in his eyes dimmed and a shudder took hold of his body. He drew his paw back and, for some reason, chuckled lightly to himself, perhaps from complete insanity.

"You're stronger than you look, Kouichi…perhaps you will make it after all." He gazed intently into Loewemon's eyes, suddenly serious again. "But don't think this is the end…no, it'll take much more than that to get rid of me completely…" The darkness around the Ancient began to fizzle away and slowly took a new shape, one matching the statue: the true Ancient Warrior of Darkness. His armored body closely resembled JagerLoewemon, though his, fitting to his name, looked more sphinx-like, and golden metal wings sprouted from his back, currently drooping as he kneeled in exhaustion, staring blankly at the floor. Loewemon, unable to hold onto his form much longer and not seeing a reason to try anymore now that things seemed normal, shifted back into his true form as well as he struggled to catch his breath along with his majestic ancestor. A few long moments of silence passed, and Kouichi began to wonder whether he should start the conversation when AncientSphinxmon finally spoke up, his voice detached.

"'Devouring plague, may you lay siege to this forsaken land: Corrupt the pure, flay our minds, tear the fabric of our time. Opposites struggle, destroy day and night, end it all with your plight…'"

"What are you talking about?" Kouichi asked, tensing up a he stared at AncientSphinxmon. He thought he'd cured the Ancient Warrior, but it didn't sound like he was any better with that doomsday talk…

"We thought we'd understood, thought we'd destroyed the threat… I felt the beginnings, seeping up through the ground. I so foolishly tried to stop it on my own; my pride was my downfall." AncientSphinxmon slowly opened his eyes and looked up at Kouichi with such a heavy yet piercing gaze, but it only lasted a moment before his eyes went out of focus again, clouded by despair. "Now I understand. It is so much more complicated than we had given it credit for. Hope…where does it lay in this dark time? If you fight, you'll be playing right into their hands. If you don't, they will destroy it anyway, creating a miserable land of tyranny…" He heaved a sigh as his form flickered.

"What's happening? Please, tell me what you mean!" AncientSphinxmon looked to him again, opening his mouth to answer, but instead flinched as his form was assailed by a more violent shudder, small strands of loose data appearing around him, threatening to slip away.

"I'm sorry. I admire your efforts to save me, but it's too late. We must hurry now. Before I sink forevermore into oblivion, there is one more thing I must do." He walked stiffly over to Kouichi, every movement seeming to be filled with pain, before stopping and kneeling his head to touch the young human's forehead. "I bestow upon you, Kouichi Kimura, all that is left of my strength. I do not know what you can possibly do to overcome what has been foretold, but I suppose I must have faith in you. It's all we have left." As the Ancient One spoke, Kouichi could feel the power flowing into him, bringing his two Spirits together in a more powerful, steady state than before. This strength was refreshing at first, but then he felt something else joined in with it, causing a spark of agony to shoot through his body. After this was complete, the fallen Warrior stepped back, seeming a bit dazed and upset. He finally shook his head, apparently shrugging whatever it was off and gazed deep into Kouichi's eyes as his form began to waver again. "Use your Fusion Form wisely, young one, and beware the plague…"

"Wait, AncientSphinxmon! Don't go!" Kouichi cried futilely as the redeemed warrior faded into nothingness, broken strands of data flowing from him and crumbling away into dust.

"Let him rest," Devidramon said, limping over to stand next to him. "He's been fighting this back for years now. His soul must be exhausted."

"Devidramon…are you okay?" The dark Guardian smiled, an expression that seemed somewhat odd on a creature such as him.

"Yes, young one. I'll be fine."

"Do you have any idea what he was talking about?"

"Not much more than you, I'm afraid, though I suppose I should share with you what knowledge I do know. You are the official Heir of Darkness now, after all." Kouichi nodded.

"Yeah…that would be…good…" He murmured before falling over where he stood. Devidramon managed to catch Kouichi before he hit the floor and smiled down at the young Warrior of Darkness.

"I guess you need your rest now, too. It's alright, you've earned it…" He whispered as he began to carry him off to a better location.


	9. Muse

Geez, has it been so long already? So sorry about the really long wait, people, but I had a really bad case of writer's block where I couldn't make _anything _coherent for a while there. Once I was finally over that, I kinda hurried to put this together, so you know this story isn't dead. It may take me a while sometimes, but I promise I'm not giving up on it. Shortest chapter yet, but like I said, I wanted a little something up here.

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon in any way, m'kayz?

---

"Lekismon, can I have a word with you?" The small rabbit digimon cringed at the voice, her blood running cold as she forced herself under control externally before turning to greet her superior. Talismon did not look amused as he stood there, hair in disarray and tip of his tail scorched. Her eyes widened in surprise at his ragged appearance.

"Of course, Lord Talismon! What's going on?" She asked, her voice laced with concern.

"Cut the act, bunny girl," He growled, displaying an impatience the collected warrior scarcely showed.

"Wh-what ac-" She stammered, her guise cracking with surprise. She'd been so careful, the only one knowing of her rebellious thoughts being Aquilamon…or so she'd thought. Talismon cut her off, and she knew then she was doomed.

"You know damn well what. You've been setting traps around the area for me. Why, I can't fathom, but knowing you, I'm sure you were behind that ambush on the mountain, too." She said nothing, and he took this to be a yes before continuing. "You do realize that your foolishness costs Lord Lucemon as well, don't you? Because of your interference back there, he had to sacrifice much of his own energy to get me here, and yet you continue to threaten me, therefore threatening to make this effort and vain and force him to expend even more of his own strength on trivial matters! It's-!"

"**Lord Talismon, are you there?"** Talismon paused at the voice, his rant coming to an unfulfilling close as he was forced to pick the crystal necklace up to answer.

"Yes, Aquilamon, what is it? I do hope you've found something important and aren't just wasting my time here."

"**Don't worry, I have found the answer to your question. There are special shrines dedicated to the Ancient Warriors that give them this new power upon completion of certain trials. I have seen one myself to confirm this."** The hybrid smiled.

"Interesting. Nice work, Aquilamon. Now all we need to do is eliminate these threats."

"**I'm afraid it's not so simple. For one thing, nobody is certain where the rest of these temples reside, and even if you did find one, there are quite a few security measures in place to prevent any but the Chosen Warrior of that element from entering."**

"I see…" Talismon murmured, a contemplating look crossing his features. He would have to take this matter up with Lucemon after he was done here. "Very well. You just stay there and see what else you can gain from them while we plan our next course of action. Report to me whenever you find something new."

"**Will do, sir. But first, I must ask you a question…"**

"Shoot," Talismon said, cocking an eyebrow in faint interest.

"**Was there a Liollmon amongst our ranks assigned on a mission to destroy the Warrior of Flame?"**

"No, they're a relatively rare species, not to mention stubborn from what I hear. We have none with us yet, and even if we did, where's the point in sending one off to meet its doom at their hands? Why do you ask..?"

"**One of them showed up and led us to a volcano before growing hostile and shoving him into the lava. We haven't seen either since, so…"**

"Well, this is an interesting development. Bloodthirsty, suicidal Liollmon and a Warrior getting done in by his own element." Talismon sighed. He'd somehow known from the beginning that Takuya would be the first to go, considering the hyper teen was always managing to get himself into trouble. But something just didn't add up about it. Why target the Warrior of Flame in an area that was ruled by that element? "No matter. If he is dead, then that's one less problem for us later. I must be going now, so was there anything else important you needed to talk to me about?"

"**That is all, my lord."**

"Then I will talk to you later, hopefully soon if all goes well." The light faded from the crystal, signaling the end of the transmission, and Talismon returned his full attention to Lekismon, who hadn't dared tried to sneak out under her superior's fierce gaze. "Now then, back to our business…" Lekismon looked down, fear in her eyes. He knew all about her. It was all over… Silence reigned for a long few moments, and the anticipation got to her as she looked up at him with a sad but hateful glare.

"What are you waiting for? A confirmation?! Okay, I did it! I did all of it! Now just get this over with already!" She snapped. He continued to stare at her emotionlessly before walking over and placing a hand on her shoulder, causing her to tense up. A small smirk spread across his face as he looked down sideways at her and spoke at last.

"You're a very devoted follower of Lucemon, aren't you?" Lekismon blinked and looked up at him in confusion.

"Yes, of course! Why else would I be here?"

"Just as I thought. He did not perform the 'Awakening' spell on you, and there had to have been a reason for this. Tell you what; I'll forgive you this once, and you can continue on here so long as you don't get anymore funny ideas involving me and fire, got it?" She stared at him, dumbfounded.

"Wh-wh-what?! But I tried to kill, several times, and..!" Talismon quirked an eyebrow.

"Or do you want to die?" She snapped out of it, shaking her head furiously.

"N-no, I'm good! Thank you, sir!" Talismon chuckled and walked off, and Lekismon turned to watch after him, still stumped by his actions.

---

Aquilamon heaved a sigh as his connection with Talismon was severed. Things were not going well at the moment. Takuya was missing, possibly dead because of an insane rogue, Kouichi still hadn't shown back up, and now the remaining Warriors were probably getting suspicious about his absence. He didn't have too much time to worry about this now, however, as he heard the nearby beating of wings and looked up in time to see a Devidramon of all things approaching, wings beating lazily as he descended, appearing to be exhausted, and the large object he carried with him most likely was not helping. Aquilamon watched the digimon curiously, and his eyes widened in surprise when he finally managed to identify the object as none other than the young Warrior of Darkness.

"I..I'm sorry…" The Devidramon gasped, landing next to the bird digimon and setting down the human before slouching over, struggling for breath. "Please, watch over him. He is vital to our survival…take him to the Legendary Warriors if you can, or at least someplace safe…I don't think I can go much further myself…"

"Don't worry, he'll be safe with me," Aquilamon assured, looking down to examine the human before turning to the strange digimon. "Mind telling me who you are though, and why you had him with you in the first place?"

"I…am a Guardian…" The dark digimon breathed, looking up apologetically. "Sorry, but I am so tired…" He looked down at the boy, his expression torn. "I said I'd tell him, but…I don't know if…"

"You could tell me and I could carry the message," Aquilamon offered, sensing the importance of this. Devidramon looked up, a bit hesitant before nodding.

"I guess I don't have much a choice, and I did just put his life into your hands… Still, these are ancient secrets that must not reach just anyone's ears. Only the Warriors should know."

"Understood." With that, the Dark Guardian dove into an old tale of apocalyptic themes.

---

Takuya had felt himself losing his balance, taken by surprise by the strange and violent cat. It didn't take a genius to know that falling off this particular edge into a pit of boiling lava meant game over, but by the point he thought to do something, it would have been difficult enough to save himself without the extra weight, no chance with. Even as the end approached and he heard his friends cry out, he couldn't help but notice the irony in this, which would have been almost funny in a demented way had it not been so serious. Looking up, the horrified faces of the other Warriors was the last thing he saw before a blast of warmth enveloped him.

It surprisingly didn't hurt, actually seeming to empower him as light flashed across his vision with an oddly familiar sensation. This feeling faded after a moment, and then it was just him and a comfortable warmth, as well as building pressure in his chest, as if he were suffocating…

His eyes flew open at this, and he saw that he was sinking in the lava and had transformed into Agunimon. He started to wonder how that had happened without his trying, but that was something to ponder later; while he seemed to have an immunity to the lava, it did not keep him from being unable to breathe. He thrashed a bit, looking to where he was certain was up, and wondered whether he could make it in time.

This was something he would never know the answer to however, as then another light caught his eye, and he swam towards it, compelled by some unknown force. When he reached it, he came out into a small pocket of air in the wall, which, he realized, should have been impossible. Turning around, he saw the lava moving in rhythmic motions, making him feel as if he were at sea looking out a window below deck, only there were no visible force stopping it from rushing in here. He managed to shake this off quickly though, having been witness to stranger, and went to examine the rest of his surroundings to find a door at the far wall, and before he even read it he was certain this what he'd been searching for.

Mysterious ancient door in an odd, elemental themed area? Check. Rough image of his Human Spirit? Check.

_Child of Flame, if thou hast made it this far,_

_thy faith has already been proven,_

_but to unlock the path, _

_thou must unleash the true nature of thy element._

And a cryptic message addressing and telling him indirectly what to do? Also check. So, the crazy little fluff ball was telling the truth. He was glad, but his heart sank a little as he looked back at the deadly liquid, knowing Liollmon couldn't possibly have survived. There had to have been a better way to get her message across than freak everyone out and get herself killed.

Sighing, he looked back to the door. Whatever her reasons, he was here now, and had a puzzle to solve. The nature of his element? That could be anything! _So, _he reasoned, _why not try everything?_ And with that, he let loose everything he had on the door.

"Pyro Darts! Pyro Punch! Pyro Tornado!" Fire flew all around with such force he was certain it would open after he was done assaulting it, but it didn't quite work that way, deciding to open right before he was finished and causing him to fall inside as he tried to kick it. "Oww…stupid door…" He murmured crossly as he got up, brushing himself off. "Could've given me some heads up." But, as he looked into the tunnel, glowing veins of magma running along the walls, he decided to stop speaking aloud to an object that wasn't even there anymore and be thankful it had opened, allowing him to march in to claim his rightful power.

---

Meanwhile, the remaining trio stood in stunned, devastated silence. No one could hardly believe what had just happened, that a member of their group had just fallen to what was, no doubt, his grave. They'd been through a lot together, and had nearly lost each other many times, but to think one of them could be killed here, so simply, after all that… Izumi broke the silence with a choked sob, the scene finally really sinking in. The two boys blinked out of their own trance and looked to her, full clarity not yet hitting either of them.

"Izumi…" Junpei whispered, instinctively trying to comfort her.

"I don't believe this." She said, staring down into the volcano. "How? Why? First Kouji gets taken from us, then there's Kouichi, who we left behind with that monster, and now…"

"Kouichi isn't necessarily dead, and maybe Takuya-"

"He fell into a pit of lava, Junpei. Lava! And do you really think…" She trailed off, shaking her head. "There's only three of us left. Only half of our group remains! How are we going to do this?!"

"'Zumi…" It was difficult to watch her break down like this, and got even worse when he realized that she was making some good points. They'd made it out of some tight spots, but right now the future was starting to look pretty bleak.

"Junpei's right." Tomoki spoke up, and everyone looked to him. "I've seen fire digimon survive this before, and Takuya has the element of fire, right? So maybe he's alright."

"But why hasn't he surfaced yet if he's alive?" Izumi questioned.

"I don't know," Tomoki admitted, "but Takuya's like a brother to me. I refuse to believe that he's gone for good! And I'm going to continue to believe in Kouichi, too. We did leave early, so maybe he's already done and just searching for us." The two stared at him for a moment, visibly unchanging. There was something strange about the youngest member of the group being the one to comfort them both, the kid who was once terrified of everything, but he did have something that they lacked; belief. What else could they do but believe, other than break down into despair and guarantee loss? Finally, Izumi sighed and nodded.

"Yeah. I guess I'll try that too." She said, and while she wasn't much happier, she did seem more relaxed, at least until she noticed one important detail. "Wait, where's Aquilamon?" The other two blinked in realization and looked around. It had been too easy to noticed the bird digimon's disappearance. He was not a big part of the group, after all. "Well this is just great." She continued, irritated, after a while. "Looks like bird boy ran off and betrayed us as well. We sure know how to pick trustworthy sources, huh?"

The other two didn't bother to debate this. There had been something suspicious about Aquilamon, and they were too drained at the moment to try if they wanted, so with that, their group lapsed into another silence.

---

Ridiculous. That was the only word the red avian like digimon could use to describe the story that had just been passed to him. Ridiculous. It simply wasn't possible, lies made up to belittle the Demon Lord. Certainly something like that would be remembered more widely? And yet, though he refused to accept it, something about this tale seemed right, and despite its own missing pieces, seemed to fill the tears in their world's known history.

As he mused over this on his way back to the other Warriors, he glanced over his shoulder at the still-unconscious boy on his back. Child of Darkness, gentle, and twin brother to the Light, the twisted child taken from his natural place… What, if this were true, did it mean for them? If they were truly what he was once thought to be? It was hard to imagine something like that befalling the obviously kind-hearted human, but maybe…

Aquilamon sighed and shook his head. This was all way beyond him, and, as far as he knew, beyond any living creature in either world. So, to take his mind off of that vast and depressing subject, he simply took a moment to take in the details of Kouichi's face and compare it to his memory. Yes, the resemblance was uncanny. The boys were indeed identical, not that that detail meant very much to a digimon, but he couldn't help his brooding. It was already apparent to him that they also shared a deep connection, and it seemed wrong to have them separated like this.

"You'll be together again soon," he murmured, mostly to himself. Lucemon's army would come, and hopefully Kouichi would be taken as well. Then they'd both be 'awakened' under Lucemon's control, and it would seem as if nothing were wrong to them. But, on second thought…

Aquilamon cut this train of thought short as well, ruffling his feathers lightly in frustration. That, too, was a subject above him, something he knew he could not help. He had been a long time follower of the powerful old lord, more loyal than the Royal Knights had been, which allowed him to avoid the infectious mind control the majority of the army was subject to, but that did not mean it sat right with him. It seemed such methods shouldn't need to be resorted to, and he couldn't get that moment of weakness out of his mind, the moment he'd seen Talismon, or Kouji, or whoever he was at that moment, be subjected to. It was inefficient, and caused unnecessary grief, as he knew only too well from seeing the process again and again, actually having to oversee it.

The volcano came into sight, and he brought his thoughts to the present, hoping that they hadn't moved and wouldn't think him too suspicious. At least, with the arrival of Kouichi, he would have something to aid his own return. As he came in for landing, the group, who were thankfully still there, became aware of his presence and were already throwing him suspicious glares.

"So, you had the nerve to show your beak again, huh?" Junpei commented coldly.

"I apologize. You see, I was just-"

"Look, it's Kouichi!" Tomoki exclaimed, interrupting him and dragging everyone's attention to the digimon's passenger. Their eyes widened in surprise and relief, and as the boys hurried to unload their friend, Izumi turned an inquiring gaze to Aquilamon, having more or less gained her composure from earlier.

"Okay, bird boy, you have some explaining to do." Aquilamon sighed, biting back a retort saying that he was trying to do that before, and went on obediently.

"While you three were just sitting there, I decided to scout out the area a little, and found another digimon carrying him. He'd claimed to be a Dark Guardian and said AncientSphinxmon had been freed from what was controlling him by the two of them. Kouichi gained his power, but needs time to rest after confronting his ancestor."

"That's great news!" Tomoki said cheerfully. "But why couldn't he come too?"

"Devidramon, the Guardian, was exhausted as well, and said he had other business to attend to." The young Warrior of Ice nodded.

"I see… Guess that's to be expected. AncientSphinxmon was really strong. Hope they're all going to be okay now."

"We can ask Kouichi for details when he wakes up." Junpei said. "And maybe, with luck, Takuya will show up too." Nobody said anything, but it was indeed heartening to see someone turn back up, and they couldn't deny they all felt hopeful of that. But, until then, it was starting to get late, so they all decided to get some rest themselves.

---

Sorry again, and yes, I realize there's a lack of anything truly worthwhile here. Next chapter will be a lot more interesting, and you will get to have some more clues as to what's going on and stuffs, promise.


End file.
